


me, him, and the moon

by ohmygodimgay



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: 1d, Alpha - Freeform, Harry Styles - Freeform, Horan - Freeform, Liam - Freeform, Liam Payne - Freeform, Louis Tomlinson - Freeform, M/M, Malik - Freeform, Narry - Freeform, Niall Horan - Freeform, Payne - Freeform, Styles - Freeform, Werewolves, Zayn Malik - Freeform, beta, direction, harry - Freeform, larry - Freeform, larry stylinson - Freeform, louis - Freeform, niall - Freeform, omega - Freeform, one - Freeform, one direction - Freeform, stylinson, tomlinson - Freeform, zarry - Freeform, zayn, ziam, zouis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-06-18 15:30:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 27,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15488976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmygodimgay/pseuds/ohmygodimgay
Summary: harry's summer break is turned upside down one summer evening.originally on wattpad, co-written with @coffeewithsugarbits!note: continued on wattpad on the co-writer's profile





	1. harry

**A/N heeeey squad! i am really excited to be writing this honestly. i am working with my friend @coffeewithsugarbits who is a very talented larry writer and good friend of mine. she writes the harry chapters and i write the louis ones! enjoy :)**

Summer was defined as a break from school, plenty of sleeping in, and the overwhelming possibility that one night, Harry might finally get laid. Josh and Harry talked about it enough, just barely enough, that he was convinced after a few parties, he'd get a girl into bed. But that's the thing, Harry wasn't into partying, nor was he into girls. Josh used to tell Harry that it was a phase, and he'd grow out of it soon enough. Which he never did.

It was a summer of good friends and a job he loved. He worked at an old music store right down the road from his house. It was small, and the only customers he did see were his friend Josh, and an older man who came in every week to check out the new stock. It paid well, and it gave him some time to himself around music, which was also a plus. The manager, Max, was a friend of Harry's mum, so he got the job fairly quickly.

That summer was one he would remember. And not because he got laid, or partied too much.

No, that summer was full of anger, heat, and pain.

Harry found himself closing the store alone, Max going home for the weekend to tend to his very pregnant wife. Josh came to say a quick hello before he went out to the lake where another bonfire was being held.

"Harry!" Josh called as he entered the store. Harry stood from his chair behind the counter and sauntered out to meet his friend.

"Come to kidnap me?" He teased, bumping his fist with Josh's.

Josh began fumbling through old records while he thought. "It crossed my mind at one point," he laughed. Harry giggled and shoved his shoulder. "No, but I just wanted to tell you that a kid stopped by the diner earlier asking about you," Josh explained.

"For me?" Harry asked. Josh nodded and picked up a Stones album. "What the hell would anyone want me for?"

"You'd be surprised," Josh muttered under his breath. "He asked if I knew of the boy who worked in the record store. To which I so graciously said, 'Why no, whatever do you mean?'" Josh placed a hand against his chest and mocked the interest.

"Jesus," Harry mumbled. "You're a shit," he added, taking the record from Josh's hands and putting it back on the shelf. "So, he asked about the boy in the record shop."

"Yes, he asked. I told him I knew of the boy in the record store. He seemed pretty interested, but wouldn't say anything else about it," Josh finished, making sure to sigh heavily once he finished talking.

"Was he handsome?" Harry asked. Josh glared at him through hooded eyes.

"Yes, Harry, he was the definition of a god," Josh said sarcastically, the action dripping through his words. "He wasn't handsome to me, idiot. He was just some guy asking for a milkshake."

"Don't be rude," Harry teased. The two laughed for a moment before he began for the door. "I wonder why, though. No one ever shows any interest in me."

Josh shrugged and shook his head. "Have you seen anyone new in this place?"

"Not that I can remember, no," Harry replied.

Josh ruffled his hair and flipped through a few more old albums, never taking them from their place on the shelves. He and Harry shared more small talk as the time went on. When he was ready to leave, Josh made his way to the front of the store. "I'll catch you this weekend?" Josh asked from the front door.

Harry sat back down in his seat and nodded towards his friend, sending him on his way, the bell on the top of the door ringing. Once Josh was gone, Harry began his normal cleaning. He swept the tile flooring, vacuumed the carpet, wiped down the glass cabinets, and doused the store in a generous spritz of air freshener. Harry stood back from his work, chuffed with his progress. He shut the lights down, locked the doors in the store, and retired to the back room, before grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. He then turned the alarm system on and quickly walked out the very back door, before locking that one as well.

The good thing about closing by himself, was the fact that he could take his time cleaning, leave when he was ready, and he could play music the entire time. I mean, working in a record store, you're surrounded by music at all times.

The walk home was quiet, as per usual when he closed. It was around eleven o'clock when he finally left the shop, so walking home was easy. The streets were empty all but for a few stragglers who were making their way home, or work, after a long day. Harry liked walking alone at night. The air wasn't heavy like it was during the day, and his hair didn't frizz out in the humidity.

Harry finally reached his street and slowed his pace only slightly. He didn't really want to be home yet, so he wanted to spend just a little while longer outside in the safety of the world around him. His phone began to buzz in his back pocket as he walked. He pulled it out slowly, seeing Josh had texted him. He dialed his number and waited for him to answer.

"Harold! Just the man I was waiting to hear from," Josh told him.

"It's been an hour since you spoke to me," Harry deadpanned. Josh giggled from the other end of the line.

"Why, yes it has. Look, I found out why that boy was asking about you," Josh said loudly, alcohol dripping from his words.

"Do go on," Harry said reluctantly as he walked along his street.

"The boy's name is Zayn. He's friends with that boy in Uni. God, what was his name? Starts with an 'L' I think," Josh rambled. Harry adjusted his phone against his ear and tried to listen, music blaring in the background.

"Josh, out with it, then. What's going on?" Harry asked. Josh laughed through the phone.

"He's here at the party, Harreh!" Josh yelled. "And he's handsome. For you, I mean. He has black hair and he's handsome."

Harry chuckled along with his friend. There was a crunch of leaves behind Harry that made him take the phone away from his ear. The atmosphere was silent, but there was another crunch. Harry turned quickly on his heels to see behind him. "Josh, I have to go," Harry spoke into the phone. His pulse quickened.

Before Josh could respond, Harry ended the call, shoving his phone into his pocket quickly. He turned in circles, looking all around him. He looked into the darkness expecting to see a pair of eyes staring at him.

What he didn't expect, however, was turning under the street lamp and seeing a pair of red eyes running straight at him, and the pain in his shoulder following quickly after. 


	2. louis

_New moon. Crescent. First quarter._

Louis carefully slid the oak chest of drawers open and ran his fingers over the collection of dark, neatly folded shirts. He closed his eyes and felt the different fabrics against his fingertips, looking for one that was exceptionally soft. 

_Waxing gibbous. Full moon. Waning gibbous._

Repeating the moon cycle was Louis' favorite way to soothe himself. It helped him in times where he was frustrated, uncomfortable, or even trying to prevent himself from changing. Footsteps pounded up and down the stairs around him, accompanied by the occasional holler from one of the other residents of the old house. Music was playing inside Louis' locked room, but it still did not seem to be loud enough to drown out the noise.

_Last quarter. Crescent. New moon._

An especially loud bang sounded in the room directly above him. Louis instantaneously grabbed the black silk robe that was hanging from the foot of his large antique bed and rammed the power button to his stereo.  He flung his bedroom door open into the hallway. "What in the  _fucking hell_  is going on?" He entered onto the open landing, standing by the railing and looking upwards. "Did bloody  _elephants_  move upstairs?" 

A tall boy with dark hair rushed out and peeked over the ledge. He had a kind face and square jaw, hair coiffed and styled. He seemed chuffed, "Sorry, Lou. Zayn and I are just messing about."

"Are you sure you didn't drop a television on the floor or something, Liam?" Louis put his hand on his hip in frustration, looking more like an annoyed father than a peer mentor.

Zayn bounded up the two sets of stairs at an incredible speed. Louis noticed that the lad's hair had so much product in it that it hadn't moved once during the intense climb. He appeared behind Liam on the landing and quickly stole the denim jacket from his hand. "Ah, thanks, love. Been looking for a final piece to the outfit." He left into another room just as quickly as he'd appeared. 

"Bastard!" Liam yelled, still obviously shocked. 

"Can't the two of you just keep the noise down for  _a minute_?" Louis cried, his words full of exasperation. "Tonight I was supposed to rest. I'm letting you go out so I can relax and that's a bit hard when it sounds like you're trying to break through to the second floor. Yes?"

"I can't wait until  _I'm_  the one who gets to run things around here," Liam rolled his eyes and retreated into his room, most likely to find and kill Zayn. 

Louis brushed off Liam's words.  _He's just a kid. He'll understand one day._

The noises did not completely stop then. An occasional scuffle could he heard above Louis' music, but he was far from caring. Louis laid back on his bed, catching up on work and drinking a fine glass of red wine. Someone had to pay the bills. 

Soon enough, Liam and Zayn had left for their night on the town. Louis didn't care much where they were as long as they were following the rules, which they knew a good deal about. Louis had been raised into this unique life as the leader of the pack, it was his job to look after the others. This also meant taking Liam under his wing as the new alpha.

The sound of the slamming door downstairs was music to Louis' ears. He hopped up and turned off the stereo, a significant spring in his step as he moved about the now quiet house. His feet padded down the creaky stairs in warm wool socks as he tightened his robe. A clean shaven blonde boy was in the kitchen with his back to the doorway as he entered. "Feeling peaceful?" Louis beamed. 

Niall whipped around from the counter where he was making a rather thick ham sandwich, "Never better, quite honestly."

Louis pulled out one of the old chairs from the kitchen table. All of the furniture in the house had been either been purchased at a cheap yard sale or picked up off of the curb. No one in the big house had very much money, but what they did make was put towards groceries and utilities. Louis' parents had paid for the house before they passed, trying to prepare him as much as possible for the unpredictable future that lay ahead. He traced his finger over a carving of a small eye on the table which had definitely been left by Victoria. "I'll have what you're having."

His comment had interrupted Niall from cutting his sandwich in half, to which he gaped at Louis and nearly dropped the knife. "You're bluffing."

"I wasn't bluffing when I pulled you off the street and nursed you bad to health,  _pal_." 

His words sunk into Niall like teeth, he rolled his eyes. "Alright, you have a point." 

Louis never got sick of playing the alpha card. It made a difference when you didn't want to do small things like wash the dishes or pick up a gallon of milk. Although he did commonly enjoy abusing his position in power on silly things, he also liked to remain a neutral person throughout the house. Considering that the house's residents were all similar in age, it was very important to Louis that the pack was a close-knit community. They knew how to enjoy each other's company, but also how to take care of business. 

"Did the lads tell you where they were going?" Louis asked, crossing his legs. 

"Zayn mentioned a bonfire of some kind," Niall once again retrieved the materials for sandwich making. "He doesn't tell me much, Liam's the one attached to his hip."

"Ah, young love," Louis rested his chin in the palm of his hand.

"Do you reckon?"

"Time will tell."

Niall fixed Louis a nearly identical sandwich and sliced it into two triangles. He set the plates on the kitchen table where they leisurely ate together and gossiped about other members of the pack. They intertwined their feet at the ankles and occasionally kicked the other lightly.

Louis and Niall had been good friends for a few years, starting after Louis had discovered him abandoned in the woods one night. Niall had been attacked by an unknown wolf the night he was turned. They weren't the only pack in the area, so it was likely that Niall ran into some kind of young wolf who couldn't control themselves. Louis sat at his bedside during the healing process and tended to his every need. He noticed something different about the boy, like he'd known him in another life. They had been practically brothers ever since. 

Soon the plates were cleared and the sandwiches devoured. They were going over the schedule for the weekly pack meeting when Louis' phone started buzzing on the table beside him, Liam's face shone brightly on the screen. 

Louis was confused. Liam never would have called him unless it was a complete emergency. He answered quickly, "Liam?"

"Louis, please I need you to come meet me." The boy sounded upset and honestly a bit frightened. "I really fucked up, mate. I  _really_  messed this one up."

"Where are you?" Louis stood and gave Niall a nod of gratitude for making dinner. He made his way to his room where he could change into something inconspicuous. 


	3. harry

Harry groaned in agony as he clutched at his shoulder. The ground beneath him was hard, unforgiving. His back scorched in pain from falling in a heap of deadweight. The curls that once framed his face now fell around his cheeks, sweat beginning to dampen them. His fingertips wrapped themselves around the skin there, feeling a warm liquid escape from his fingers. He looked down momentarily to access the damage, and was met with a small puddle of blood forming around his body, and the shirt he was wearing completely soaked. “Fuck!” he exclaimed.

 

His head was swimming. The heated atmosphere around him weighed heavily on his chest, forcing his breaths to seem labored. His lungs threatened collapsing, at least that’s what Harry envisioned. His arm, from the skin that met his collarbone to the very tips of his fingers was becoming numb. It wasn’t a horrible numb, but he couldn’t feel the movement of his appendage. Harry tried all he could to force his hand to move, but was left with nothing.

 

While being on the ground, Harry hadn’t stopped to look for the animal that bit him. He quickly looked up from his place on the concrete road, scanning every piece of land to make sure the thing was no where in sight. He let his head lull back in pain after looking around for a bit, the agony getting to much for him to handle.

 

“Hey, kid!” a voice called from down the street. Harry could only groan at the human.

 

“Please,” Harry whimpered, tears now streaming down his cheeks. He rolled over on the opposite side of the wound, relieving some of the pressure. The figure was now standing above Harry, and through hooded eyes, Harry could make out the face of a young man. His face was pronounced, and he was tall. Harry let his head hit the ground as the boy leaned down and placed his hands on Harry’s shoulders, earning a grimace of pain, and a hiss through Harry’s teeth. “Please help me,” Harry seethed. The man gently rolled Harry to lay flat on his back.

 

“What’s your name, bud?” he asked Harry. Harry clenched his jaw as his shoulder hit the ground again and all but yelped out in pain. “Hey, hey, I’m going to help you, okay?” he cooed. Harry forced his eyes open and nodded the best he could. In one swift motion, the boy had slipped his shirt over his head and held it over Harry’s shoulder.

 

“Stop,” Harry begged, knowing what he was going to do, but hoping he wouldn’t. “Fucking hurts.”

 

“Just trust me,” the boy offered. With that, he shoved Harry’s hand away and pushed the fabric into the wound as hard as he could. Harry yelled out in pain at the contact, his vision going white and his stomach churning with nausea. “Gotta stop the bleeding,” the boy soothed. Harry gripped his hands with both of his own and held on tight, thinking that maybe if he tried hard enough, he could wretch the boy’s hands away.

 

“Really fucking hurts,” Harry mumbled under his breath. His words were starting to blend together, and his mouth felt like his tongue was too big for it, and his lips were lagging.

 

“Liam, what the fuck?!” a new voice shrieked. Harry turned his head to see two more boys running in his direction.

 

Harry yelped as Liam twisted his hands in a different spot. At Harry’s pain-ridden shrills, the blonde reached down and pushed Harry’s curls away from his face, which were now covered in his own blood. “Fucking Christ, Liam,” he noted. Harry looked up and met the blonde’s gaze, his piercing blue eyes shining straight through his own. Harry felt like his eyes were starting to roll back into his skull when the blonde shook him harshly. “Don’t go passing out on me, mate. Stay with me. Can you tell me your name?” he asked.

 

Harry was out of breath. His chest heaved like he was trying to get more oxygen into his bloodstream. His entire body shook with tremors, pain radiating from the top of his head and down to his toes. Harry grunted out huffs of air, trying to calm himself. “Harry,” he managed, reached out a hand to clutch onto the blonde’s tightly.

 

“I’m Niall. Liam was the one who found you. Louis is here, too. Do you see him?”

 

Harry lifted his head only slightly, paying as much attention to Niall as he could. There was another lad who stood at Harry’s feet, holding down his ankles. He made eye contact with the boy for a split second before dropping his head back to the ground. If he wasn’t in his current situation, he would have thought Louis was handsome. Fuck handsome, he was bloody beautiful.

 

Niall shifted on his knees and brushed Harry’s curls away once more, Harry finding comfort in the idea. “Harry, we are going to sit you up, okay?” Liam spoke after some time. Harry was beginning to find a steady breathing pace, and his shoulder was now reaching a point where the pain was dull. The bleeding slowed, slightly, and Harry could feel his head coming back down.

 

With a nod of his head, he let Niall and Liam pull at his arm and push against his back so he was sitting up. He slouched, moving to hold the shirt over the wound on his shoulder. Louis stood from his spot at Harry’s ankles, he hadn’t said anything at all since he’d gotten there. In fact, the entire time, Louis had his gaze planted on Harry’s face, his expressions, the way he breathed, the lot of him. He watched Harry through hooded lashes, until he sat up.

 

“Did you see any animal?” Harry asked, pain still stricken in his voice with every word he spoke. The three boys looked around and said nothing, avoiding Harry’s gaze entirely. “Fucking rabid,” he mumbled under his breath. He looked up to find Louis staring at him intently. Harry cocked an eyebrow at him, Louis’s cheeks turning a beautiful shade of pink.

 

Harry finally got a good look at the boy, even if he was still doubled over in pain. Louis had sandy hair that swept to one side, and one side only. He could see he way it curled beneath his ears, the humidity of the air dampening it. His skin was tanned in the summer, a beautiful shade of skin that made Harry’s mouth water. Louis’s eyes were a shade of blue that could only be found in the reefs of Australia, the coral reefs that everyone raves about. Harry’s only seem them in pictures, but he was sure Louis’s eyes were made of that clear, blue water. Plus, with cheekbones and a jawline like that, Harry thought Louis was carved out of the sharp coral reefs himself.

 

Harry gripped his shoulder slightly tighter and took a steadying breath in, blowing it out, the action causing a sharp pain in his chest.

 

“I need to go to the ER,” Harry voiced. Liam and Niall shared knowing looks. Liam was the one who bent down and rested his hand gently on Harry’s good shoulder.

 

“The bite doesn’t look that bad, mate. I think all it needs is a bandage and some antibiotic cream,” Liam soothed. Harry sighed and took the shirt away, revealing the wound.

 

His shirt was ripped now. It held holes from where the teeth got his skin. Harry handed Liam the shirt, and carefully ran his fingertips across the bite marks. They’d successfully broken skin, obviously causing the blood, but they weren’t that deep. It was like the animal was in a hurry to get its bite in, so he did it carelessly and bolted afterwards. Harry moved his hand from his bad arm and found that moving his fingers weren’t as bad as he had anticipated.

 

“Mom’s going to flip,” Harry muttered.

 

Louis was the one who crouched down. “Do you think you can stand up? We need to get you home. I’ll explain what happened to your mom, if you’ll let us walk you home,” he offers. Harry contemplates his suggestion, and nods after a while, reaching out for Louis’s already outstretched hand.

 

Harry stands on his feet and stumbles only slightly, clutching onto Louis to steady himself. Louis wraps his arms around Harry’s waist to stand him up, which Harry makes no effort whatsoever to move away from. “Steady now,” Louis whispered so only Harry could hear. He gives Louis a thankful look and they start for Harry’s home.

 

Thankfully, they made it in one piece, Harry clutching onto Louis the entire time, and Liam and Niall following very close behind. Harry fumbled for his keys momentarily before finally opening the door, his mother waiting for him impatiently. She embraces him in a hug, retreating after Harry winced in pain, loudly at that.

 

Louis explains the entire situation, lying to her that he and the boys met Harry at the record shop and were walking home when a very large animal jumped out in the darkness and bit Harry. Louis told her that they helped stop the bleeding, and don’t think it needs stitches, much to the disappointment of Anne. Louis, Harry, and Anne argue for five minutes before she caves, taking Harry into the house with gentle movements. Before the boys leave, Harry promises to call Liam the next morning to let him know how he’s feeling, and Niall makes an offer to visit the shop when Harry goes into work.

 

Anne shut the door and helped Harry into bed, helping him change into clean clothes, clean and not so bloody clothes. Harry falls asleep after some coaxing to the sound of his heart beat in his ears, and the soft hum of his ceiling fan above him.


	4. louis

Louis' shirt was covered with dried blood from the dazzlingly beautiful boy that Liam had attacked. The ride home had been silent and awkward. Niall, being the peacemaker of the group, tried to occasionally console the nervous Liam. Louis thought coddling the boy was ridiculous and that he needed to own up to his mistake, but he still remained silent. There was already a car in the driveway when they arrived back home, the one belonging to the sisters in the pack. Louis turned off the ignition hastily and snatched the keys out, exiting the car just as fast. 

"Louis," he could hear Liam's voice whining from behind. "I'm sorry. Please talk to me."

He continued his speedy stride and pointed his index finger in the air, "I have nothing more to say."

"You can't just ignore him forever," Niall chimed in. "We have to figure out what we are going to do about this kid. He's  _infected_  now."

Louis spun around as he finished, "You think I don't know that, Niall? You think I don't know that Liam has created another goddamn mess for me to clean up?"

"I said that I was sorry," Liam crossed his arms and frowned. 

"Well, Liam," Louis approached him and spoke with his hands, flailing about. "Sorry doesn't quite cut it. You  _lied_  to me about where you were going and _then_  you broke the rules. Not to mention that you turned on your own accord when the moon wasn't even full!"

"You're not my fucking dad, okay?" Liam looked appalled that Louis had the confidence to tell him off. "I don't have to give you a play by play on my life and I  _certainly_  don't have to stay in this pack." 

"Actually, Liam, you kind of do." Niall made a face at him because, he was right, Liam wouldn't be accepted by any other pack except for the one he originally belonged to. "Lads, can't we just sort this out in the morning?"

Louis rubbed his eyes first, then his temples. "Liam is Harry's alpha. Therefore, he is going to be doing a majority of the work. We're going to have to get to him before he turns. The next full moon is Wednesday." 

"It's Friday night and Liam wanted to go out. Can you blame him? He just didn't execute it very well," Niall shooed Louis away with his hand. "I'll take care of this situation, just get to bed." Louis sighed in gratitude as he left them alone in the driveway. At this point, Niall was the most level headed out of everyone in the pack. Sometimes Louis was confused why he wasn't just the alpha instead. 

Louis climbed the stairs to his room. Next door he could hear Victoria, Gianna, and Lacey chatting away about some poor bastard they'd preyed on that night. Louis wanted nothing more than for Liam to be the only issue he had to deal with. The girls were careful not to get caught in most cases when the moon wasn't full. He had never been able to fully collect enough evidence to catch them, but perhaps that was for the best. 

Louis changed out of his clothes and laid back onto his large bed wearing his boxer briefs. Disregarding the current seriousness of the situation, he was reminded of how attractive Harry had been. Sure, meeting while covered in blood isn't very conventional for grafting, but it's better than nothing. 

He lay sprawled out on the mattress, taking his pointer finger and resting it on his bottom lip. He traced his lip line for a moment, then his finger slowly and gently entered his mouth. If only it had been Harry's finger instead of his own. 

He reached down into his breeches, feeling his wet finger run along his uncircumcised shaft. Louis imagined the curly boy with the shocking green eyes pressed up against him, sweaty bare chests urged together. What he would have given to familiarize himself with the sounds and the movements Harry made when being pleasured. What he would have given to be the reason for them. 

Louis traced the tip of his cock with his finger, feeling where his foreskin began. He imagined Harry's fingers gliding across his length and then wrapping his big hands around it. He began to stroke himself, pumping slowly but effectively. Louis longed for the younger boy's pink slightly parted lips to kiss his tip and wrap themselves around him completely. 

Louis' sexual fantasies came to a screeching halt the moment he heard a knock on his door. 

"J-just a minute," he called. "I'll be with you shortly!" He quickly stuffed his lower half underneath the comforter on his bed, still half-erect. After adjusting himself under a rather thick pile of blankets, he said, "Come in."

To Louis' surprise, Liam sheepishly pushed through the door. They grimaced at each other in frustration from the night's events. Liam spoke first, "I need to talk to you about something."

Louis sighed and patted the bed beside him, trying to seem as inviting as possible given the circumstances. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier and I'm sorry about-" Liam was interrupted. 

"You don't need to apologize for tonight," Louis said matter-of-factly. " _I'm_  sorry for being dramatic about the situation. This is my job as your alpha and we need to move past it, okay?"

Liam nodded in reply and gulped, "Okay."

"All I need for you to do is follow the house rules," Louis leaned back against the headboard. "Now what's going on?"

"Quite obviously we both know what will happen next with Harry," Liam began to seem tired. He looked to Louis for reassurance, and did not continue until he had nodded back in reply. "He's my first beta, Louis. I'm nervous about messing this one up."

Louis was stunned by what he was hearing. Liam wanted  _his_  help? Liam wanted  _his_  advice? This was either a joke or this boy's humbling, because it was not every day that something like this happened. Fulfilling his duties as an alpha always excited him. 

"Oh! Well okay," Louis said, eyes twinkling. "I mean, what would you like to know?"

"All of it honestly," Liam replied. "I just need your help." The sentence was music to Louis' ears. 

"So, when he comes into the house," Louis began, springing into action. "Try to be as welcoming as possible, but obviously not too overbearing. We need to make a realistic impression on him of what life is like here, but we also need to make him feel confident in staying."

Liam just continued to nod along to what Louis was saying. He seemed like he was listening very intently. 

"No matter what, you need to be the one he goes to for advice, help, and to get any major needs met. Sure, the other boys can assist on the little things, but you need to establish both dominance and the role that you are the one who will mostly be taking care of him. It's a brotherly kind of role, Liam, you will get used to it. You remain in  neutral middle spot in most cases, just be kind."

"I can't imagine having two betas," Liam remarked, referring also to Niall. "I don't know how you do it sometimes."

"It will get easier over time," the pressure in Louis' groin was calming down rapidly by having a serious conversation. "Niall was my first beta because I took him under my wing. You need to remember, though, that just because you are in charge of him doesn't mean that you can't have a tight bond and meaningful friendship."

Liam still looked anxious, "Are you sure that I'll be okay?" 

Louis laughed lightly and patted his apprentice on the back, "You will be just fine."


	5. harry

**_(A/N: Buckle up, kiddos! This one is definitely a longer one. Also, you'll notice at the end, Harry makes a revealing character development. Please keep in mind that when writing this, I am taking a lot of inspiration from the MTV series Teen Wolf. I have changed a few details to keep it real on our end, so whenever you read, please be mindful of this. Again, this one is a longer one, so prepare yourself. Prepare for some angst as well. As always, all my love, k)_ **

Harry let his eyes flutter open with the sun the next morning. His body felt like it was on fire, but his shoulder felt unusually alright. He sat up in bed and ran his hand over his shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise and he looked directly at the skin. Harry huffed out a shaky breath and he observed his wound.

But that was the thing. The wound was gone completely.

Harry furrowed his eyebrow as he ran various ideas through his head. A vampire, super human healing abilities, radioactive spiders. The ideas circled through his head as he sat in bed and tried to rationalize what was happening. Harry sighed deeply after thinking for far too long and climbed out of bed to shower and ready himself for the day.

His shower was normal, but the only thing he couldn't figure out was the fact that the water temperature just wasn't hot enough for him. He fiddled with it like he normally did, checking every once in a while before climbing it, but he couldn't get it just right. It felt too cold with every turn of the knob. Finally fed up with it, he shook his head and grunted out loud, noting mentally to tell his mother about the temp being off.

After his shower, he walked back to his room just clad in a towel and fished out a pair of khaki trousers and a navy blue shirt to wear to work that afternoon. He paired it with his black trainers and set off for the kitchen, set on making himself some breakfast.

His mother was already awake and making waffles when he stumbled down the stairs. She turned and flashed her beautiful, motherly smile at her baby boy and made her way over to him to peck his forehead with a kiss. "Morning, sunshine," she spoke. Harry kissed her cheek and sat down at the island of their kitchen. "You're up early this morning," Anne noted.

Harry shrugged and picked up an apple from the countertop. "I felt like getting up early today. Plus, I have to run to the shops and get more bandages before I go into work," Harry lied. "Max has me coming in earlier today to get some more hours in," he added. After he was dressed for the day, he'd decided to play the situation off as if his shoulder was still sporting the bite to save himself from having to explain anything to his mother. Which, if we're being honest, he didn't have an explanation for anything. He had no earthly idea what could possibly be happening to his body. He wanted to save the explaining for another day. One where he knew she wouldn't flip out on him.

"Is it looking better this morning? Any pain?" she asked and grazed her hand across his shoulder. Harry winced and shied away from her touch. If he was going to play this out, he had to be convincing. His mother gave him a sorry look and went back to making breakfast. "I called your father this morning," Anne began, not taking her eyes away from the cooking. Harry's eyes shot up from his apple.

"Did you now?" Harry asked lowly. Anne nodded.

"I was telling him about Gems promotion," she explained slowly. Harry never took his eyes off the back of his mother's head as she spoke. "He wants to throw her a party."

"So he can bail on that too?" Harry snapped. Anne dropped the spatula she held in her hand, still facing away from Harry. "Exactly," he added before climbing off the stool and heading back to his room without another word. Anne didn't try to call for Harry as he ascended the stairs.

Back in his room, Harry pulled out his phone. The previous night, Liam had put his number in while they were walking back to the house, which Harry was thankful for. Honestly, he didn't think he could have been worth anything in putting numbers in. Liam made it very clear to call him as soon as he woke up so he could update Liam on the wound. Harry figured it was because Liam found him, and all. So, Harry scrolled through the list of contacts until he stopped at Liam's name. He pressed the call option and held the phone up to his ear.

"Well good morning," Liam beamed through the line once he picked up the phone. "You're up quite early," he added.

"You're the second person who thinks so," Harry replied quietly. "Just wanted to call," he said.

"What for, youngin'?" Liam asked, his voice sounding strangely like he was trying to hide something. Harry furrowed his brow in confusion. He wasn't dreaming about last night, was he?

"Last night? The animal attack?" Harry tried. Liam made an audible sign of realization when it hit him.

"Shit! How are you?" Liam spoke, a shrillness added to his tone. Harry shook his head while trying to keep up with the boy on the other line.

"Um, yeah," Harry began, not knowing where to start. He stopped to glance down at his shoulder momentarily. How the fuck was he supposed to tell a complete stranger, that found him after an animal attack, that his wound was gone altogether, when said stranger helped stop the bleeding? Harry sighed out loud and cleared his throat. "It's......better," he mumbled.

"That's good to hear, Harry. The lads and I were really worried about you. I'm glad to know you're feeling better," Liam replied, his voice now sounding stumbled upon, almost like he wanted to ask Harry something, but didn't know how.

"Yeah, well I have to go to work soon, so I'll catch ya later."

"Yeah, yeah...yeah, right, later," Liam stumbled again, and hung up the phone quickly. Harry brought the phone away from his ear and looked at it, wishing it could give him any explanation as to what just happened.

After Harry left his home, Harry grabbed a back pack to hold his belongings, and popped out to the shops to browse for a bit, looking at shoes, and shirts in various store windows. Surprisingly, many shops that were open this early in the morning were quite pleasant. He only stopped in one though, deciding to pick up a new shirt to replace his ruined one, and a jacket to wear while he was at work, seeing as it got cold in the building some days. Once he was finished, he walked the twenty-minute trek to the shop.

Max was just unlocking the front doors when Harry arrived. He met Max with a handshake and a grateful nod for holding open the door for him. The two made their way into the shop and began turning on lights, starting up the AC, and Harry putting on a record to start their day off. He opted for an old Stones record, one of the albums Josh had messed with the night prior. When everything was ready to go, he took his usual spot behind the counter, climbing to sit on top of it, and took a breath to relax himself.

Truthfully, Harry was really starting to freak out. Not only was he attacked by an animal that still wasn't found, the bite wound from the animal was healed. And not healed as in dried up blood and scarring over. No, this was like the wound never appeared in the first place. In no less than twenty-four hours, Harry had been attacked, and healed like it never happened. To say that he was freaked out was an understatement.

To add to that, his mother dropping the bomb about his father didn't help any situation at all. You see, Harry and his father have a very tricky relationship. He was there for most of his childhood, with a needle in his arm. Harry could recall vivid memories of coming home from school, finding his mother calling the ambulance because his father was laid out in the kitchen, foam pooling in his mouth, a dirty needle shoved in his arm, and a filthy spoon lying next to his body. He would go to the hospital, go through a detox program, but end up in the same situation every few weeks. Finally, when Harry turned sixteen, his father left, leaving his mum and his sister to fend. Harry couldn't be all that mad, because in the end, the toxic person had left, and life was supposed to get better.

Which it did, by the way. Once his father left, Harry's mother got a better job, one that offered more money and insurance benefits for herself and her children. Gem went to school and graduated, and was now getting a promotion. To top it all off, Harry started working and found himself a few odd jobs here and there, but generally found an income that supported him in terms of food money. Having his father leave was kind of a blessing in disguise, but he'd never tell his mother that.

It was only nine in the morning, and Harry was having an existential crisis. But, alas, he put on a brave face and scrubbed his hands over his cheeks and his eyes once, and then again for good measure, before plopping down off the counter to get started on some leftover paper work for inventory.

Some hours later and Harry found himself checking out a customer at the register after showing them the gold mine that was the 70's era. He always did like the older music, so whenever he got a chance to share his music genius with anyone who would listen, he took it without a second to question it.

Harry bagged up the records for the customers and then sent them on their way with a big smile when he noticed someone new saunter in the shop. Harry got a good glimpse of the boy as he stopped to browse. And god, Harry thought, he's a handsome creation. The boy was raven-haired, styled back with gel on the sides. His eyes, doe wide and a sunset chestnut, perused over many different selections. Harry also noticed the leather jacket and black skin tight trousers to match. This boy looked like he just stepped out of Grease.

The boy looked up from his current album choice and met Harry's gaze. His eyes lit up from across the store as he quickly set the record back in it's place and walked quickly over to Harry. The younger boy felt his stomach turn. He quickly looked around in search for Max, but realized he'd been upstairs in the office filing documents away.

It took merely seconds for the handsome man to reach Harry, but he did with a smile on his face. "It's Harry, right?" he asked. Harry stood there, mouth agape, words refusing to form. The boy looked down at his feet and rolled his eyes. "Sorry, that sounds creepy, huh? I'm Zayn," he said and outstretched his hand for Harry to shake. "I'm guessing your mate, Josh, told you I was asking about you."

Harry nodded and took Zayn's hand, shaking it, but never taking his eyes off Zayn's. "He mentioned it," Harry replied quietly, suddenly becoming shy.

"I probably shouldn't have just came up and assumed who you were. Sorry about that," Zayn spoke. Harry pursed his lips in a straight line. "I heard about the 'record shop boy' who everyone talked about."

Harry lifted one brow. "People talk about me?" he asked, surprised. Zayn nodded and leaned against the front counter.

"All the ladies must fall at your feet with those curls you got," Zayn beamed. Harry felt his lips try to turn into a smile. When he didn't respond, Zayn continued. "And lads, maybe."

"Just the lads," Harry said eagerly. "Ladies aren't really my playing field," he said with a toss to his hair, a smile playing on his face. Zayn laughed softly and nodded.

"Totally get that," Zayn responded. Harry giggled. "I wanted to stop by and say hello. Liam and Niall told me they ran into you last night."

Harry felt his entire body tense at the mention of last night's events. His jaw clenched and he stilled his movements. Zayn seemed to pick up on the change in his demeanor almost immediately.

"No, it's nothing bad, Harry," he assured. "They said you got into a nasty fight with an animal," he finished, the end of his sentence almost trailing off, like he wanted Harry to continue.

"I don't know what happened, honestly," Harry explained. "One minute I'm walking home, and the next, some rabid creature has bitten me and bolted. You'd think they'd stay and finish what they started," Harry says. Zayn nodded along to his story.

"Is it any better today? If it was rabid, you may want to go to the doctor, don't want to get some disease," Zayn replied, his voice etched with concern...and something else.

Harry shook his head and shrugged, the plan he'd come up with earlier that morning still fresh on his mind. "It's alright I guess. It's a weird situation, I guess," Harry mumbled, glancing over to his shoulder, where a wound wouldn't be found if Zayn asked to see it.

"Weird?" Zayn asked, his eyes begging for answers. "Weird, how?" Harry sighed and leaned over the counter on his forearms, stretching closer to Zayn.

Here goes nothing.

"Weird, as in, gone this morning, weird," Harry whispered near Zayn's ear. He blinked a few times before registering what was said. He pulled away from Harry and watched his movements. Harry rubbed the spot on his shoulder and moved his shirt out of the way only slightly, revealing the skin where an obvious bite mark sat just last night. "Weird, as in, they helped stop the bleeding, but now there's no bite mark, weird," Harry repeated. Zayn stayed silent through the explanation until Harry was finally finished.

Zayn sighed and leaned into the counter, just like Harry had done. "I'm guessing Liam hasn't explained anything to you yet, has he?" Zayn asked in a whisper. Harry's eyes searched Zayn's face for any sign of joking, making sure he wasn't taking the piss. Harry slowly shook his head no, questions flooding his mind and blinding him. "After work tonight, come with to the house. He some answers for all of your questions."

Harry took a step away from the counter and ran a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. What the actual hell was going on? Answers? Answers to what? Why he suddenly heals after eight hours? Harry looked at Zayn with a puzzled expression, trying to process everything he was hearing. But, what exactly was he hearing?

All Harry could do was nod his head slowly, Zayn pulling out to call, presumably, Liam and let him know they were coming by after Harry's shift ended.

Max let Harry off at 9 p.m. so once he finished his cleaning and normal nightly activities, he left the shop following Zayn at his heels. For the rest of the day, after Zayn had spoken with him about the previous night, Harry had felt dizzy. His mind swam in a sea of confusion and ignorance. He had no idea what he was about to walk into, but he figured whatever it was, it had to be better than questioning everything he did and everything that happened. The entire day was spent with Harry half ignoring customers when they'd ask questions, and not paying attention completely. He missed about eight different people who came in wanting to buy a record, and that meant he lost eight sales altogether. It was frustrating for Harry. One, because Harry loved his job at the shop, and did what he could when he could in terms of helping customers out, so not fulfilling his expectations of himself really got under his skin. Two, he was still confused as to why Zayn was giving him advice, and bringing up the incident in the first place. Say Harry was a completely different person, and Zayn was talking nonsense to a stranger? Ideas ran through his mind like they had when he first realized his wound had healed. But, some sort of hope ran his blood cold. If what Zayn said was true, he'd have his answers, and he'd know exactly what was going on.

But the question that was still clear, did Harry really want to know what was going on?

Zayn drove he and Harry out to a house on a piece of land pretty large. The house was massive, Harry noted. IT looked more like a mansion than anything else, and Harry wondered if they were at the right address. Zayn pulled up the driveway and parked his car, getting out and waiting for Harry to follow. He followed suit and climbed out of the car tentatively, carefully shutting the car door and mirroring Zayn as he ascended the steps to the house, and through the front door that looked too big to be legal.

Inside the house, it felt vaguely homely. The lights were dimmed, and a beautiful scent floated through the air. Harry took a deep breath to calm himself as Zayn walked through the foyer and into the living room. There, Niall sat on a couch, with two other ladies who were just as interested in the game the three of them were playing as Niall was. Niall's eyes flickered up for a moment and noticed Harry, a bright smile playing on his face.

"Harry!" he exclaimed. Niall stood from the couch and paused the game, must to disgust of the two ladies beside him. The two of them smiled at Harry, sharing a soft grin as a hello when they noticed his presence. Niall embraced Harry, wrapping his arms around the awkward boy. Harry kept his arms at his sides, his hands stuck in his pockets.

"Jesus, Niall, cool it," Zayn warned. Niall pulled away and placed a big, fat kiss on Harry's cheek, making an obscene noise by doing so. The girls on the couch giggled and put down their game controllers. Harry gave Niall and the girls a short smile and looked to Zayn for help, who nodded understandingly. "Where's Liam?" Zayn asked. Niall turned his attention to Zayn and shrugged.

"Last time I saw him, he was out back with Louis. Something about becoming one with nature, or summat," Niall replied, moving back to the couch and resuming his place on the couch. Zayn nodded and grabbed Harry by his arm, leading him down the hallway, away from the three in the living room.

"He seems lovely," Harry joked, a hand to his chest to further his sarcasm. Zayn looked back and chuckled.

"He's definitely a character. He may act all sweet now, but just you wait. He's a moody little prick most of the time," Zayn said rounding a corner and opening a door. The door led out into a back yard of sorts, where they found Liam lying face down on a blanket he'd set up on the ground, and Louis in a chair with a beer in one hand, a book in the other. Zayn laughed out loud and walked towards the two boys. "You look ridiculous, you lot," he laughed. Liam looked up from the ground and jumped up, bumping his fist with Zayn's.

"I was trying to teach him something I read in this book. Feeling the nature around you and relaxing with the wind. Crock of shit, if you ask me," Louis pipes up. Liam's eyes fall on the boy still standing by the door and immediately change from the way he looked at Zayn.

"Harry, you came," Liam spoke, walking to Harry and shaking his hand.

"I don't think I had much of a choice," Harry replied, a tone crossing his voice that he hadn't intended. Liam cleared his throat and placed a hand on the shoulder that used to have a wound, but when Harry didn't shy away in pain like he'd anticipated, Harry's eyes went wide and Liam took a step back. "Already? Shit," he mumbled under his breath.

Louis shut the book he was reading and walked over to Harry, a smile on his face. "Harry, I'm glad you came by. I'm Louis, by the way," Louis smiled, holding out his hand. Harry took it apprehensively. "I think you, Liam, and myself should have a chat, don't you think?" he asked. Harry looked to Liam, back to Louis, over to Zayn, and back to Louis, his face riddled with fear. Harry simply nodded. Louis gave a glance to Zayn, who all but cowered away and went back into the house. "Come sit."

"Werewolves....." Harry repeated for the fifth time, his mouth now dry from lack of swallowing. Louis and Liam shared a look and watched Harry's body language. "it's all fairytales," Harry whispered to himself, more than to the other boys. Liam scooted his chair closer to Harry and put his arm out to his knee.

"I know what you're thinking right now, but try and let your mind relax, and attempt to think that this is even possible," Liam suggested. Harry snapped his head up to look at Liam, who sported a look of worry.

"You're taking the piss right?" Harry snapped, not meaning for the tone to be rude, but at that point, he couldn't help himself.

Louis was the one to speak up. "Harry, just try and hear us out, alright?"

"You're telling me...." Harry trailed off, not sure how to form his thoughts into words. "You're telling me, that you," pointing to Liam, "bit me, and now you're my alpha and I'm a beta, and we're all werewolves?" Harry asked. "And you," pointing to Louis, "are the alpha who changed Liam?"

"Essentially, yes," Liam spoke as if it was simple mathematics to him. Harry nodded and rested his chin in his palm, his fingers softly picking at the peach fuzz forming on his skin. "I know it's a lot to process," he added, wrapping his hand around Harry's shoulder. Harry looked between the two of the men before him.

"How does this even work? How are you supposed to be an alpha if he's your alpha? How did you get to change me, and he couldn't?" Harry asked, motioning to Louis. "Are you not alpha-enough or something?"

Louis fought back a sneer and calmed himself before speaking. "For you information, I am plenty alpha, for you anyways. Liam changed, which is prohibited unless on a full moon, and that's why he changed you."

"It wasn't my fault," Liam snapped towards Louis, who gave him a glare.

"Okay, ladies, could the two of you just stop?!" Harry seethed. "You've dropped this bomb that werewolves are real, so if you don't mind, save your sissy fight for later." His blood boiled.

"Liam, you deal with him. His attitude is too much right now," Louis demanded as he stood from his chair, retiring in to the house.

"Is he always that brooding?" Harry asked, his voice small and wavering. Liam sighed and nodded.

"He's better sometimes."

"Thought he was hot last night. Now, he's a prick," Harry laughed shallow, coming out more like a scoff than anything. Liam giggled and patted Harry's hair.

"Much do you have to learn."

Harry looked up to Liam seriously. His eyes were watery, tears teetering on the edge. Liam stood from his chair once he noticed Harry, pulling him to his feet and into a hug.

"I promise you'll catch the hang of everything soon. It's not that hard, and I'm going to be here, always. That's what an alpha does. They provide for their betas. And I'm going to make sure you're covered," Liam soothed into Harry's shoulder. Harry nodded against Liam's neck and pulled away, digging the heels of his palms into his eyes to dry them.

"Can I use the loo?" Harry asked once he'd composed himself. Liam nodded quickly and led him back inside.

"Second door on the left," Liam instructed, pointing down the hallway to a door that held a light from underneath, lighting up the floor. Harry gave Liam a thankful glance and started down the hallway.

Once he reached the door, he lifted his hand for the doorknob, but was met instead with it opening, revealing a very wet, very naked Louis. His hair hung over his eyes in wet shambles, and water drops littered over his body. Harry gasps lightly and jumps back, wanting to cover his eyes and apologize, but unable to find the strength to do so. Instead, he could only stare. Louis's eyes snapped up to the blushing boy before him. Louis hand still held the doorknob, and the other hand holding up a single towel that draped around his waist to cover himself.

Harry couldn't say anything. No, Harry literally couldn't form a single word. Before, he had so many questions, so many things that he had to know. But now, standing here, his mind and his mouth were caught at an intersection and neither one would be the first one to drive forward.

Louis looked on in the same state. His eyes were wide, doe-eyed, and his mouth was hung agape. Harry could see a pulse point on Louis's neck beating furiously the longer they stood there.

Something changed suddenly in the air. Harry felt it change. The way Louis looked at him, with those blue eyes he noticed the night before. He stared at him with an open mouth formed my lips that looked too delicious to not be kissed every day.

Before Harry knew what he was doing, he leaned forward for one quick second and attached his lips to Louis's, wrapping his hands around his cheeks and holding him still. Louis didn't move. To be honest, it was almost as if he was frozen right there on the spot. Harry's eyes closed as soon as their skin touched. He didn't try to deepen the kiss by opening his mouth. No, he remained still and, surprisingly, calm, while he stood there and kissed Louis. His hands fell away from his face and went to the wall to steady himself. He felt a hand at his waist, and realized Louis had removed the hand that held onto the doorknob so tightly, was now feeling at Harry's skin. Harry noticed his lips were beginning to be pried apart.

Holy fuck.

Harry took a sharp inhale when he felt Louis begin to move his mouth. His eyes shot open and he scattered away from Louis, gasping for air. His chest was heaving, even though the kiss was no where near sexual. It was like his lungs were begging for air, and he couldn't find it in him to provide them with such. Louis opened his eyes after a moment and stared at Harry carefully.

It had to have been thirty minutes they stood there, watching the other.

"Right," Louis spoke, startling Harry out of his trance. "Right...Okay," he repeated and took one last breath in before starting down the hallway, past Harry, not once daring to look at the younger man.

Once Harry composed himself, which he was sure took ten minutes, he headed for where Liam was waiting for him. All the energy he had before coming to the house was gone. Now, it was being spread to the parts of Harry that he couldn't handle at that moment. The way Louis kissed him, the way he touched him, as little contact as it was. Harry still couldn't help himself become aroused at the thought of doing that again.

Well shit.

Harry reached Liam, flustered, and blushing, and most importantly, starting to panic. Something had flipped in his body, and his blood was boiling. IT wasn't a bad boiling. It was a good boiling. Like Louis had lit a fire in him that could only be extinguished by more of his touch. Harry took a deep, heavy breath, that made Liam turn from where he stood watching the living room. When he took in the sight of Harry, his eyes flew wide, and he was reaching out to him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he asked, concern deep in every word he spoke. Harry felt his skin become hot to the touch. He looked to Liam with pleading eyes. Harry felt his eyes burn with anticipation. He blinked a few times to soothe his irritated eyes, and suddenly, Liam was staring at him with red glowing eyes. Through the reflection on the refrigerator, he could see his own blue glowing eyes staring back at him.

Well, this is character development.


	6. harry

Once Harry had calmed himself, after Liam talked him through his anxiety, and relaxed him enough to turn his eyes back to the normal shade of green they originally were, they moved outside to the steps of the back porch. When Harry reached Liam before, his hands shook uncontrollably and his breathing was shallow, quick like he was trying to keep from having an asthma attack. Liam took him by the shoulders, his red eyes still peering into Harry’s, now bright blue, eyes, and had him chant a simple phrase. “The sun, the moon, the truth.” Liam had heard it from a pack traveling in from the states, and he decided to stick with it. After a bit, Harry’s breathing relaxed and Liam eventually led him to the steps of the porch.

 

Outside, Liam didn’t ask what happened to send Harry into an episode, and honestly, Harry was more than grateful. They sat silently on the steps for what seemed like twenty minutes before Liam spoke. By that time, Harry knew Louis would have probably gone and told one of the other boys about what happened.

“I’m not going to say anything about what happened, if you don’t want me to,” Liam tried. Harry shook his head and scrubbed a hand over his face.

 

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Harry replied, pursing his lips in a straight line. From behind him, he could see Niall still enraptured with the video game with the two girls he still hadn’t met, and the faint footstep of another human. He kept himself from turning to see who the pair of steps belonged to, but listened carefully for them. One thing he’d noticed, today especially, was the fact that his hearing was starting to get better. As in, he could hear things he normally wouldn’t, like a squirrel climbing a tree yards away.

Harry gave Liam a look and sighed heavily.

 

“You know, moving in might be a good idea,” Liam suggested with a short shrug. “This is all a lot less scary when you’re surrounded with people just like you.”

Harry thought about the offer for a few moments. “I wish it was that easy,” he replied softly.

 

Liam put a hand to his knee and patted it gently. “Well, why can’t it be? It’s only as difficult as you make it,” Liam said, like it was the easiest thing in the world to do.

Harry let the comment process. There are three reasons why moving out of his home and in with the boys would be an issue. Number one, and possibly the most important, his mother. Yes, Harry was of legal age to move out and start his own life. He had his own job, and he could support himself if something happened and he had to get his own flat. While he had the logistics under control, he knew that he’d be leaving his mum. After everything that happened with his dad and then Gems getting out and starting a life for herself, Harry felt guilty for up and leaving her. She would probably put up a fight about it, and confrontation was never Harry’s strong suit.

 

Number two, Harry would be surrounded by people just like him. With the way Liam had put it, the idea sounded like the most obviously answer to getting him used to being who he was. The thing was, even though it was probably the best thing for him until he got used to what was happening to him, the fear of getting in an argument with one of the boys, or anyone for that matter, and tearing them to shreds because of it kind of scared the shit out of Harry. He was a werewolf, and the only stories he’d been told over the years were the ones where they got angry and tore an entire town to pieces. He couldn’t let that happen with anyone, especially his family. Now that he thought about it, losing his mind with his mother wasn’t even an option for him. So over all, it could be a good idea.

He was missing the point.

Number three, one option that was very recently added due to the day’s events, Louis. God, Harry didn’t even know a single thing about him, but he was definitely a number to add to the list of reasons moving in wasn’t going to be easy. The hallway incident, which he referred to as such because it was an actual incident, was something that would probably haunt him in his dreams. The way both of them handled the situation was wrong, and it all felt weird, but still. Louis was still a problem.

 

If Harry couldn’t keep his hands to himself when Louis was clad in a towel, still dripping wet from his shower, how could he keep his hands to himself if Harry walks in on Louis when he’s naked? The odds of that actually happening were slim, but the chance was still there. And what if Louis saw Harry naked? Oh god, that wasn’t even something Harry thought about until now.

Christ in heaven.

 

Harry groaned and pulled his knees to his chest, burying his head in his hands. Liam chuckled and wrapped his arm around Harry’s shoulder.

“I can come with you to your mom’s,” Liam offered. Harry lifted his head and met Liam’s gaze. “If you want. It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of.”

 

Harry lifted an eyebrow slightly. Oh. He figured it out. “You’ve never done this before, have you?” Harry asked. Liam chuckled. He stood from his place on the steps and walked around, stretching out his back and his arms above his head.

“Not exactly Louis, am I?” Liam spoke softly. Harry’s eyes widened only slightly. “No training for alphas.”

 

Harry followed Liam’s movements. The way he paced back and forth, the way his arms swayed at his side, even the way his breath picked up when it concerned his lack of knowledge. It was Harry’s turn to stand now, walking to Liam and invading his space.

“Then I guess we need to figure this out together, yeah?” Harry suggested. Liam gave him a curt nod and pulled him in for a tight hug.

 

For the next few days, Harry spent most of his time at work and at home, packing his things as quietly as he could without his mother noticing anything. He’d finally decided to move into the house, with Louis and the other boy’s blessings of course. The talk with the other boys was easy, happy even. It took about five minutes to come to a decision, and then it was done. Louis wouldn’t look at him, but hey, we are still working on number three.

At home, he tried to spend time with his mother as much as he could. He kept in contact with his sister through text and over calls, but made sure his mother was top priority. Harry made sure to eat breakfast and dinner with her when he could. They spent their dinner on the couch watching whatever movie she picked out for the day. Harry really enjoyed spending the time with his mother, because it’s something they hadn’t done in a long time. With everything at her job, and Harry working more often, they only really saw each other around breakfast time.

 

The first day back at work felt different after finding out what he was, Zayn showed up and stayed most of his shift. They talked about different records, like they had the first time they met, and got to know each other more. Zayn left around 12:30 and brought back lunch for the two of them. Over the time they spent together, Harry figured out that Zayn was an avid fan of The Rolling Stones, and, much to his surprise but not really because it’s Zayn, The Beatles. He also found that the raven haired boy was into tattoos and believe Harry when he said Zayn had many. They’d discussed the option of getting some more for Harry, which Zayn would draw out for him. At first, Harry wanted some sort of flower for his mum, but Zayn convinced him otherwise.

“Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if you hadn’t been bitten?” Harry asked at some point during the day. He glanced at the clock quickly and noticed that he only had about fourty minutes left of his shift, so he began cleaning around the store. Zayn turned over an album he bought between his hands.

 

“Sometimes. It’s weird knowing that you and I can see, hear, and smell things that other people can’t. But I guess it serves as a greater purpose, if I’m being honest,” Zayn replied easily. Harry cocked an eyebrow at him from across the store where he was vacuuming the carpet.

“Greater purpose? Don’t go all mystical on me, Zayn,” Harry spoke. Zayn laughed gently from where he sat on the counter.

 

“I just mean, yeah, we can do things that normal humans shouldn’t be able to do. But I think shit happens for a reason, and maybe our reason is to be a sort of… protectors? I don’t really know if that’s the right word.” He waved his hands like he was trying to shoo away the thought.

“Protectors as in protecting the town?” Harry asked.

 

“Sometimes, we have to deal with rivals in the county. Louis handles most of the action, so there’s not much left for us. By action, I just mean dealing with the pack threatening our land. It could be a pack of six, or a pack of nine. He even had an omega that showed up out of nowhere, and killed three different people in this shithole town.” Harry listened as he moved around Zayn, focusing on every word he spoke. “Most of the packs that have ever shown face around here know Louis.”

 

“What do you mean?” Harry asked suddenly. “ _Know Louis_.”

Zayn shifted uncomfortably on the counter and chuckled nervously. “I just meant no one fucks with Louis. He’s got a pack, and we occupy this territory. He’s a bit of a brute sometimes, and it works in his favor,” Zayn explained. Harry nodded along. “Plus, with Liam as a new alpha, no one would dare mess with us now.”

 

Harry tried to ignore Zayn’s comment about ‘fucking with Louis’ until the end of his shift. After he’d cleaned the store to his liking, he told his boss he was leaving, and he followed Zayn out the door. They parted ways at the end of the street, with promises of Harry going to lunch with him the next day. After Zayn left him, he texted his mum to let her know he was on his way home. He also instructed her to pick a movie for dinner, which she agreed and did so. On the walk home, he’d decided he’d talk to his mum about moving out after lunch with Zayn. Seeing as he didn’t have to work tomorrow, he could do whatever he wanted. Harry sent a quick message to Liam to make sure that was still alright, and then informed him to be ready by the time he reached the house.

So, lunch with Zayn, a visit to the house to pick up Liam, and then move out. As simple as it sounded, he felt a pain in his stomach that was more nerves than anything.

 

Right. He could do this.

Harry sighed and kept his trek home going. He couldn’t actually do it without help, but he was keeping an open mind.


	7. louis

Louis was admittedly flustered by his incident in the bathroom with Harry. Louis was also embarrassed about his reaction to the sudden gesture, being that he did not resist the kiss. He climbed the stairs to his bedroom, consciously deciding that it would be best to keep distance between himself and the boy. Harry was barely grasping onto the idea of it all at that point and adding a schoolboy crush into the situation wasn't going to make it any easier. But on the other hand, Louis couldn't keep his mind off of the salty sweet taste of Harry's lips. 

He climbed the stairs to his room to dress in something clean. Louis put on sweatpants and a hoodie before going to find Niall. He wanted his outfit to seem low maintenance to show Harry that he wasn't trying too hard. It was continuously difficult to dismiss the thought of him in his mind. The world did not revolve around Harry, and Louis needed to remind himself of that. 

The back door remained open as Louis passed it. Liam and Harry sat on the steps with their backs to the doorway. Harry seemed heated about something. Although something told him not to, he waited quietly in the hallway for a minute to eavesdrop. 

"You know, moving in might be a good idea," Liam shrugged. "This all is a lot less scary when you're surrounded with people just like you."

"I wish it was that easy," Harry replied.

"Well, why can't it be? It's only as difficult as you make it."

Harry and Louis living under the same roof could quite likely end up in many additional situations much like the one that had happened twenty minutes prior. Much to his dismay, Louis did not feel upset about that. If he was going to keep Harry out of his mind, he was going to need to have better control of himself. The first step in that direction was going to find Niall instead of snooping into Liam and Harry's private conversation.

Niall sat with Gianna and Victoria in front of their aging television. None of them paid any attention as Louis approached, so he cleared his throat loudly. They all looked up. 

"Niall," Louis said. "A word please."

Gianna and Victoria made noises alike to the ones your classmates would if you were sent to the principal's office. Louis rolled his eyes and let Niall exit into the foyer before he followed behind. 

"I'm not in trouble, right?" Niall looked worried, Gianna and Victoria sure knew how to spook the gullible boy. 

"Oh, come on. Of course not," Louis groaned. "I don't know what to do about Harry coming into our house like this."

"Well, he doesn't have many other options, does he?" Niall cocked an eyebrow. "He's not a bad guy, he's very kind actually."

"I'm not as much worried about him as I am about  _me_ ," Louis said, making his friend look confused. "Look, he just  _kissed me_  in the bathroom."

Niall giggled a bit, obviously in a state of shock. "First I've heard of you having feelings for anyone! Nice one, mate."

"Um,  _not_  nice one?" Louis talked with his hands to emphasize the seriousness of the situation. "This is Liam's first beta and he needs to be the one to deal with this. I'm practically a senior citizen in this place and I need him to be prepared to take over for when I go."

"Louis, you're twenty-five, you've got  _loads_  of time left." 

"With our lifestyle? Fat chance," he rolled his eyes at his friend. "Just promise me you'll keep a look-out so I don't do anything stupid?"

Niall had never seen Louis like this before, it was intriguing. "Okay, okay, but  _only_  until he gets settled in! Once things are back to normal, this is your job."

Having an ally in the situation made Louis feel better. Just because he was the oldest in the pack didn't mean that he was the wisest. Sure, when it came to anything and everything related to what he was, he was unstoppable. But his actions around guys that he found attractive were a completely different story. 

The next person Louis needed to speak with was Zayn. If Harry was going to be able to function normally in the house, he was going to need more than just Liam to lean on. He discovered Zayn upstairs in his room next door to Liam's. 

Liam and Zayn historically had an interesting chemistry. Everyone could tell that something was going on between them, but no one knew exactly what. They were practically joined at the hip most times when they were together at home and they constantly stayed the night in each other's rooms. Liam had never come off to anyone in the pack as gay, so it would have been unexpected if he came out. If any romance was going on, it was secret at the moment. Zayn was lying on his stomach and scrolling through his Instagram feed. 

"Hey, I need to ask you a favor," Louis began, shutting the door behind him. He knew that Liam and Harry were still most likely in the backyard talking, but he didn't want to risk anything.

"Yes?" Zayn looked a bit annoyed at the disruption. Louis thought it silly because all he was doing was sitting alone in the quiet.

"It seems like you and Harry have a lot in common," Louis said. "He's new to this lifestyle. He is going to need someone to watch his back, someone who isn't Liam."

"Why? What's wrong with Liam?" Zayn asked carefully. 

Louis shook his head and dismissed his question, "Nothing is wrong with Liam at all. Harry is just going to need a strong team of people to stand behind him. It's not every day that you get turned into a werewolf."

"I like going to the record store," Zayn shrugged. "Maybe I'll start popping in more."

Louis nodded in agreement with the plan. "You know, it's also likely that he will be moving in soon."

"Well, good thing we have about a billion empty rooms in this house," the mysterious and dark haired boy continued to focus his energy on his phone, rolling onto his back. He took a moment as if he was thinking of something and then turned back to Louis. "I haven't seen you this focused on 'building a community bond' here in awhile."

"What do you mean?" Louis asked defensively. 

"You really seem to see something special in Harry." Was it really that obvious?

Louis sneered and rejected Zayn's idea, "He is a nice person and I pity his situation. He deserves a new start." Zayn just rolled his eyes and continued isolating. 

Although he was doing his best to act like Harry didn't have him bothered, it was sure apparent to everyone else what was truly going on. 


	8. louis

Louis spent a good amount of his time trying to keep things in order around the house. The pack kept to itself for the most part, only getting into trouble occasionally. A lot more planning and behind-the-scenes work went into things than expected, and it remained primarily Louis' job.

He was pouring over a table covered in receipts, or as he called it "getting ready for tax season". Taxes weren't due for months, but Louis liked to keep up with things. He sometimes worried about how the pack would carry on when he was gone, knowing that Liam would never pick up such a tedious task. He was budgeting groceries for the month when he got the call. His phone rang, Zayn waiting on the other end anxiously as he was about to be the bearer of bad news.

"Guess who's back," he said in a hushed tone.

Louis dropped his pen on the table and massaged the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Do I want to know?"

"Patrick brought his boys down from Ireland again," Zayn said. All of the wolves in Patrick's pack were known to be careless and unruly, considering that their main alpha was the most disorderly person Louis had ever known. Louis believed strongly that someone from Patrick's pack must have been the one to change Niall.

"Where?" Louis groaned.

"Pub across from the grocery store. Seems like they're here to raise hell, just saw one of the drunk assholes spit on the ground."

"I'll be right over."

"Bring back-up."

Although Louis had made a name for himself among the packs, he believed that it wasn't just all on his own accord. He was very humble about what he did and wanted to give others a chance to shine. So he decided to bring Liam along.

They quickly got in the tall black car, nearly forgetting to buckle their seatbelts. Liam had never been to a turf war as an alpha, so Louis wanted to exemplify how things ran. "Follow my lead, alright?" Louis said. "It will be obvious when and if you need to step in."

"These guys are  _so_  annoying," Liam grumbled. "Why won't they leave us alone?"

"I think Patrick feels like he has something to prove. He's overcompensating for the other times when we've pushed him out easily. Now he just looks to be a pest."

Things were getting easier between Louis and Liam since the chaotic night when Harry had been bitten. It warmed Louis' heart to feel that he was needed, and Liam was eager to learn. Even though turning Harry had been a mistake, he was beginning to believe that it was going to better Liam as both a person and an alpha.

Louis parked a block away from the pub where Zayn had spotted the others. Zayn had sent Louis a text message asking to meet him in the alleyway next to the pub, trying to hide out until there were more people there to help.

Zayn looked relieved when the other boys finally strolled up, seemingly nervous about the approaching altercation with Patrick’s pack. “They’re still inside,” he explained. “Spotted them when they were outside smoking.” Louis nodded in gratitude and entered the pub, Liam following close behind.

Patrick sat at the bar with two other men around Louis’ age. Members in most packs were all in the same stage of development: Out of school or finishing, beginning independence from parental confines. He rested a hand on the other boy’s shoulder, Patrick’s back to the door that Liam and Zayn were now entering. “You’re going to want to get out of here,  _mate_.”

Patrick whipped around, his green eyes dazzling and ginger hair glistening like flames, “Tommo!” He patted Louis’ arm as if they were old friends. “I had a feeling you’d show up sooner or later. Or did one of your henchmen find me first?” His gang made whooping noises, trying to egg him on further.

“Don’t be stupid,” Louis sneered. “You know why I’m here. You remember the rules.”

Patrick leaned around Louis to see Liam, “Hello, Liam. Has Louis finally given you your balls back?”

Zayn growled and moved closer to Liam as if to protect him. Liam stayed very still.

One of Patrick’s boys, the one who was tallest with dark shaggy hair, sniffed the air loudly. “Patty,” he singsonged. “Do you smell that?”

Patrick stood and walked towards Liam, leaning in to take a deep whiff. Liam cowered at the sound. “Fresh meat, huh?”

“Don’t listen to him, lads,” Louis warned. The last thing he needed was for Patrick to find out they had a new addition to the pack. He would target Harry in the blink of an eye. “There’s no one new, Patrick. Now move along, this isn’t your territory.”

Patrick smirked, “But what fun would that be?”

Next thing he knew, Louis was dodging a punch.

Patrick stumbled forwards from the momentum of the punch that did not land. Louis cocked an eyebrow in the direction of his opponent, “Do you  _really_  want to do this?” He wanted to give Patrick the benefit of the doubt, considering that he had been drinking.

“Don’t underestimate me,  _Tomlinson_ ,” Patrick spat, although Louis had every reason to. The other pack’s reoccurring appearances were nothing but annoying at that point.

The final boy from Patrick’s gang stood up, leaving a few pounds on the bar to cover the bill for the others. His head was shaved and face framed with dark, thick eyebrows. “Patty, it’s a waste of time.” He approached his alpha and squeezed his bicep.

Anger flashed in Patrick’s eyes before saying, “Okay, Louis, we’ll go.”

Liam sighed with relief from his position behind Zayn. For a budding alpha, he was going to need to start stepping up more. Louis decided that next time Liam would handle the Patrick altercations instead, it was good practice. The pack was irritating and popped into town quite regularly. It would be a good start for Liam being that they weren’t too vicious.

Before they pushed through the front door, Patrick whipped around, “Just remember... This isn’t over.” Louis rolled his eyes and didn’t respond as they left, not wanting to engage any further.

The boys made sure the coast was clear outside before going to their car. It wouldn’t have been unbelievable for Patrick to wait until they were outside to attack or go back on his promise of leaving town. Louis knew they would be back eventually, but for now he didn’t need to worry.

“Where were you all day?” Liam asked Zayn as they climbed in the back seat together. Liam always sat in the back with Zayn, even when it was Louis driving and the front seat was open. To most people this may seem odd, but they had all gotten used to each other’s little preferences and quirks by now.

“I was actually with Harry,” Zayn replied. “I’m glad he’s moving in. I really like the kid and I think he’ll be a good addition to our family.”

Louis became tense at the mention of the younger boy. Just the thought of being around him more was exciting, but not at all helpful if he was going to stick to his plan of avoiding him. He had been doing a pretty good job of keeping separate from him so far, but it was intensely painful seeing Harry constantly longing to talk to him. "I'm glad you took my advice and decided to spend more time with him," Louis said with false bravado. 

"Don't make it sound like you were holding a gun to my head," Zayn chuckled. "I wanted to. We hit it off pretty well and he's a nice person."

Louis felt a pang of jealousy thinking about someone getting to spend more time with Harry than he could. He then decided to put himself in check and adhere back to the original plan. "I'm just glad is all," he said defensively. "Lord knows he's going to need all the help he can get." 


	9. harry

Shit. This was actually happening. Harry was really moving out, leaving his mother, and moving into a home with werewolves. If anyone had told him this is what he'd be doing two years ago, he wouldn't have believed them for a single second. The fact that he was busy loading boxes into his car and the bigger stuff in Liam's truck, well he just couldn't believe it. 

 

The talk with his mother went fairly well. By 'fairly well', he meant it was nasty and rough. After spending about an hour, with Liam by his side which looked pretty naughty according to his mother, arguing and screaming at each other, Harry officially talked his mum into allowing him to move out. There were many conditions, however. Those including: a phone call every day, do not quit the record shop job, and make sure to eat plenty of healthy foods. She also made a valid point of coming home every once in a while for a movie night, which Harry agreed to immediately. She wasn't happy about the situation, but how could she stop him? He was legal age, had a paying job, and felt he was mature enough to move out on his own. 

 

Once the boxes were all packed away, Harry watched as Liam climbed into his truck and waited for Harry to get in his car. He stalled, hugging his mother a moment too long, wiping away her tears as they fell. He finally detached himself, and went to get into his car, shutting the door a little too harshly and followed Liam out to the house. He'd be damned if he let anyone, let alone his mother, see him cry. So by the time he reached the house, his tears were dry and his face was no longer blotchy. 

 

The feel of the house was different than it had been previously. Gianna and Victoria greeted him first, enveloping him with their hugs and curt kisses on Harry's cheeks. Niall was next, a grim look on his face at first, but it lightened once he saw Harry with all of his bags in his arms. Niall and Liam helped move the bigger stuff, like his bed and dresser, while the girls carried small boxes and bags. Harry's room was decided as the last bedroom on the second floor, all the way down at the end of the hall. It was spacious, much bigger than his own room at his mother's. There was a large window that looked out into the treeline, and a closet to hold all of his clothes and shoes. He was pretty surprised when they first showed it to him. But he reluctantly accepted and set his first bag down on the ground. After a few hours, everything was set up bar his clothes, and he could officially sit down on his bed and relax. 

 

Zayn joined him shortly after returning home from an outing. He sauntered into Harry's room,  _god, Harry's room,_ and sat on the edge of the bed. 

 

"Think this will suffice?" Zayn asked as he picked up a shoe that had been left near the bed. Harry leaned up on his elbows and surveyed the room. 

 

"Too much," he sighed. "I don't need all this space. I'm just one boy." 

 

"Should we move you in to the stair cupboard like Harry Potter?" Zayn teased. Harry let himself fall back onto the bed with a snort. 

 

"Didn't even realize you've watched those movies, mate," Harry replied, still giggling. Zayn stood and walked around the room, stopping at the dresser and picking up a journal that sat atop it. 

 

"They were made in the UK, dumb ass. Of course, I know what they are," Zayn barked. Harry watched him turn the journal over in his hands. "Keep your dirty secrets in here?" he asked. 

 

"Only the smuttiest," Harry beamed. Zayn chuckled softly. 

 

"You would, wouldn't you?" Zayn joked. There was a quiet silence in the room following. 

 

You see, Harry hadn't said anything to anyone about his encounter with Louis. He kept it to himself, because, well, moving into a new home with said person and the other housemates finding out about the ordeal... that just wouldn't blow over well. Harry knew not to trust everyone that walked through his life, but something about Zayn and the way he almost looked after Harry meant something to him. To Harry, Zayn was more than just another member of a pack. No, he felt like a genuine friend to him. To be totally honest, Harry didn't have many of those lately. 

 

Well, here goes nothing. 

 

"Zayn, can I talk to you about something?" Harry asked, breaking Zayn away from looking at pictures Gianna had pinned to the wall. He turned his attention to Harry. 

 

"What's up?" Zayn remained at his spot by the wall, gently touching over one picture in particular of Harry and his dad when he was only a toddler. 

 

"Something happened..." Harry mumbled softly. His face felt flush, and his mouth dried as soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth. 

 

"Did they finally drop?" Zayn deadpanned. Harry stared at the boy's back with a glare. Zayn turned and laughed as soon as he saw the poor boy's face. "Jesus, Harry, I was joking. What happened?" This time Zayn sat back down on Harry's bed and gave him his attention entirely. 

 

Harry dropped his head and tried to search for the words that might be able to explain what happened that day. To be totally honest, it was a little fuzzy. Not because he was inebriated, but because it happened in a blur and some details were fuzzy.

 

"I, uh," he stammered, unable to form tangible words. Zayn raised an eyebrow in question, anticipating his next move. 

 

"If you're going to tell me you're gay, you don't have to. There's more to this house dynamic than meets the eye," Zayn said suddenly. Harry snapped his head up and waited. "In this day and age, it's hard to find anyone who's straight," he finished with a shrug. 

 

"That's not what I was going to tell you, but I mean, that's good to know. For future reference," Harry said slowly. "Something happened the other day when I came over." 

 

"What, did Louis make a move on you?" Zayn wondered. His lips twitched with a smile, almost jokingly. Harry's eyes went wide immediately, and he remained quiet, never once uttering a word. When Zayn caught on, he dropped his lower jaw and rubbed the side of his face. "Harry, did he?" He asked, this time with more force. Harry looked down again, fumbling with his words. Zayn stood from the bed and paced. "I swear to god, I'm going to kill him," he muttered and walked towards the door. 

 

Harry jumped from his spot on the bed and followed him. Before Zayn could reach the door, he stopped the boy and turned him around. "He wasn't the one who made the first move," Harry spoke when Zayn tried to free his arm. 

 

"He wasn't..... so you..."

 

"I kissed him," Harry whispered, like he wanted to hide it from the world. Zayn sighed heavily and looked to his feet, wishing the answer would be on the tops of his boots. He lifted his head once more when Harry whined. His eyes were slack and he sported a look of sincerity. Zayn reached his hand to Harry's shoulder and dropped it after rubbing against Harry's collarbone. 

 

"Well, this is going to be very interesting."


	10. louis

Louis was reading poetry when the boys arrived to move Harry in. He had always been very fascinated with the Beat Generation, the newfound creatives that birthed their art in the 40s. Allen Ginsberg was one of his favorites, an openly gay writer who had spent his college days chasing after a closeted writer and making messes with Jack Kerouac. Although Ginsberg had his problematic moments, Louis still thoroughly enjoyed his writing. He had many books on poetry shelved in his room, all filled with notes and doodles. Louis also occasionally wrote his own poetry and songs from time to time. 

The door slammed from downstairs, signaling Louis that his assistance was needed. Louis had been camping out in his bedroom reading, pretending not to hear the commotion in the house. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, he just didn't want to see Harry. He had been doing such a good job keeping separate from the boy that he didn't want to jinx it. Deep down he knew that he wouldn't be able to hide forever, that eventually he would have to face the facts and decide what he felt about Harry. Louis just hoped that in the meantime, the problem may just disappear. 

He shut his book, sticking a slip of paper in to save his place and setting it carefully on his desk. Louis treated his books very nicely, trying to preserve them for as long as possible. God knows paperback books are fragile. 

Liam was carrying two boxes stacked on top of each other when Louis emerged, realizing that his help  _was_  quite necessary. 

"It's about time you showed up," Liam teased. "This is the last of it actually."

Louis couldn't help but feel a little bad. "Is Harry all settled then?"

"I think so," Liam said. "He  _is_  living separate from his mum now for the first time, so he's a little off." Louis knew how it felt to finally be independent from your parents. It was a freeing experience, but nonetheless difficult. "I'm going to take these boxes to him so he can unpack."

"What room did you settle him in?" Louis asked. 

"The empty one on the second floor," Liam continued walking to the stairs. "The one next to yours actually."

Louis' blood froze in his veins. How much more difficult could the situation get? It wasn't like Louis thought of Harry's green eyes and curly locks at night in bed, wishing he could explore his body freely. How could he repress his feelings with him being so near?

Zayn descended the stairs and grinned at Liam as they passed each other, not stopping to chat. "How's it going?" He asked Louis. 

"It could be better," Louis groaned. 

Zayn raised his eyebrows, "How so?"

He shook his head in reply, "It's nothing. How is Harry?"

"A bit nervous but he is settling in," he ran his fingers through his hair that seemed to always look perfect. "Maybe we should all go out tonight to celebrate." It wasn't a bad idea. There were a few hours left until sundown and that way Louis could keep track of everyone for the night. Nothing bad would happen that way, right? 

"That sounds like a great idea," he nodded. "You make the plans, all I ask is that we leave by seven at the latest."

Zayn looked shocked that he was finally getting the opportunity to lead such an important event. He excitedly went into the living room to find Gianna and Victoria. 

Everyone gathered in the foyer at five minutes to seven. Louis did not go out like this very often, so he wanted to enjoy the experience and have fun. He wore a black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up and jeans. It wasn't an exceptionally special outfit, but he knew that it made him look good. As he waited at the bottom of the stairs, something pulled at him inside to make him anxious to see what Harry was wearing. 

Harry walked down the stairs with Liam, chatting away and looking a bit nervous. He was wearing a blue dress shirt that was only buttoned halfway, exposing his smooth chest and beautiful tattoos. Louis tried to keep himself from drooling on the floor by looking to Niall who was rolling up the sleeves on his own white t-shirt. 

"You alright, mate?" He asked, feeling his back pocket to check for his wallet and phone. 

"Never better," Louis' voice came out as a squeak to which he coughed loudly. 

It was five after seven once everyone was gathered by the front door. Gianna, Lacey, and Victoria were to blame for being late, as they frantically tried to put a last minute look together. 

"So where are we going then?" Harry asked Zayn.

Zayn forcefully pressed a finger to Harry's mouth, "That's for us to know and for you to find out." If Louis hadn't known better, he would have expected Harry to fall for Zayn instead. It was nearly impossible not to. 

Zayn sent Louis an address that he had never seen before to put into the GPS app on his phone. The girls piled into a separate car, being that there was not enough space for all of them in Louis'. Niall sat shotgun and Harry was squished into the middle seat between Liam and Zayn. 

Niall chatted to Louis most of the car ride about an errand he had run that day while Liam and Zayn fonded over each other loudly in the backseat. All of it just seemed like white noise to Louis, he wasn't listening to any of them. The only thing he could focus on was Harry picking at his nails in the backseat, his head hanging low and looking a bit sad. 

They arrived at a club not too long later, the only one in their town to be exact. Louis hadn't been there since before Liam had come along. He barely remembered a thing from the blurry drunk nights of dancing and sleeping with mysterious men. Maybe he could find something he liked in it again. 

"Alright, lads," Zayn unbuckled his seatbelt and winked at Liam. "Let's get a move on." 

Harry followed slowly behind, sticking to Niall's side as he didn't seem like one for very much clubbing. He looked uncomfortable and out of place, Louis felt bad for the boy. Things were changing in a hurricane around him and suddenly he was being thrown into a noisy club with a bunch of people he hardly knew. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable situation. 

They lined up at the door to talk to the bouncer as the girls pulled into the lot in their car. Louis watched them climb out of the sleek black Volvo, elegantly walking towards where the rest of the pack was. Louis was hardly thinking when he spoke, but he just wanted to see Harry happy. "Do you go to clubs very often?"

Harry looked shocked that he was talking to him. It took him a second to reply, before stuttering, "N-no, not really."

Louis feigned confidence and smiled, "Well, there's a first time for everything." He stuffed his hands in his pockets to hide the fact that he was shaking. Harry's anxiety seemed to die down considerably after Louis broke the ice. 

_Why do I have to keep such a distance from him?_  Louis asked himself.Louis tried to keep in mind that Harry was Liam's beta and that he should keep from getting in the way of their dynamic.  _What's the worst thing that could happen?_

As Louis got his first drink, he decided to stop putting such a strain on he and Harry's relationship. It was painful to see Harry crushed by the distance, he shouldn't have been so uptight. 

Louis sat at the bar with Liam and Zayn as he slurped down a few vodka-fueled drinks. Gianna and Lacey pulled Harry away from his glass that held a sparkling red liquid and a lime. They dragged him to the main floor and helped him muster up the courage to dance. Harry was a terrible dancer, but Louis still thought it was hot.

After a few songs, they came back to stand with the others. Louis didn't know how many drinks he's had at that point and was looking to have an exciting night. He rarely did things like this anymore, so he might as well live with the consequences of alcohol in the morning. 

A pop punk song came onto the speakers, something Louis had heard before but wasn't bothered enough to name. He realized that you never really know how drunk you are until you stand up, sauntering over to Harry who was chatting with Gianna. Louis seized his hand on his way to the dance floor and dragged the boy along. 

"What are you doing?" Harry laughed nervously.

"Come on now, don't you want to dance with me?" Louis slurred, popping a bright and reassuring smile. 

Harry's cheeks turned red as Louis began to move his hips and arms. Realizing that there was no use fighting it, he swayed with him. Louis locked eyes with him and continued to move his body seductively, feeling that he was doing a good job. The club was beginning to get more crowded, none of the other pack members were in sight. 

Louis placed his hands on Harry's hips, grinding into Harry's ass with the beat of the newest song that was playing. His head fit in the crook of Harry's neck, his hot breaths making the other boy shiver with pleasure. Louis could hear the small moans and gasps spilling from Harry's mouth. His hands trailed up to Harry's tattooed chest as he slid in and under the breast of his shirt. Louis' hands gracefully danced across his skin, briefly playing with the boy's nipple. Harry whimpered at the touch. There was no use in trying to hide their feelings anymore, they both wanted each other. 

A gap parted in the crowd and Zayn and Liam could be seen near the bar having an intense snog. Louis felt joy in his stomach, having known that the two of them had been attracted to each other for quite a long time. 

"Louis..." Harry moaned, making the bulge in his tight jeans larger. Louis wanted more. He wanted to know the wide array of noises Harry could make while he had his way with him. The head of his cock continued to run into the crevice of Harry's ass. They continued to dance for a few more songs, the friction becoming so thick that Louis was leaking into his boxers. 

He was nearly about to start kissing Harry's neck when felt a hand on his shoulder shaking him into reality, it was Niall. "Um, I think we should go."

Louis had turned around too fast and was beginning to lose his balance. The spell had been broken for Harry was well, but he still stood there with a goofy smile and rosy cheeks. "How come?"

Niall leaned in to whisper in Louis' ear, "This doesn't look like you keeping your distance."

Louis rolled his eyes and began to stumble towards the bar. "It doesn't matter anymore. I need another drink." But Niall had other plans. 

He collected the rest of the messy gang, directing them all to the parking lot to regroup. Zayn had his arm snaked around Liam's waist, his fingers tapping on his hip. Niall was the most sober of all of them and made the executive decision to drive everyone home. Liam had not been drinking much either and volunteered to take the girls in the other car. It seemed difficult for him to part with his newfound love, taking them a few minutes to say goodbye to each other. 

Niall strapped Louis into the passenger seat and was sitting behind the wheel with an impatient look on his face. Harry gazed out the window at the clear night sky, green eyes twinkling and permanently grinning. 

"C'mon!" Niall called, honking the horn at the couple and making Zayn jump. 

The last thing Louis remembered before falling asleep was glancing up into the rearview mirror to check on Harry as they pulled out of the parking lot.


	11. harry

So, here’s the thing. Living in a home with werewolves like yourself, that’s alright. In fact, that’s the better portion of the thought process Harry was trying to work himself through. Now, put into account that one of those members of the house happened to be, potentially, the best looking lad on the face of the earth; that is what’s called an issue.

Cheekbones. Lovely, lovely cheekbones that looked like they were formed by the very hands of God. Eyes, blue like the oceans in the Florida, with specks of darker green the color of sea foam washing upon the shore. Hair as wispy as the blades of grass in a field of golden orange. Skin, tan and supple. Skin so perfect, almost as if it’d been caressed by angel wings.

Louis  _fucking_  Tomlinson.

Moving into the house was easy; it was simple and painless. Telling Zayn that Harry had kissed the alpha in question, that was simple. It may not have felt simple at the time, but eventually, the thoughts were getting easier to manage. As seconds passed, Zayn seemed to understand the situation, and he didn’t throw a strop about it. Once Zayn left Harry’s room, he could finally breathe because he told someone. It was a weight lifted from his shoulders.

Now, coming back to the house after a night out, in which Harry had a bit to drink, now that was something only nightmares were made of.

It wasn’t the act of going out and having a good time with his mates. It wasn’t drinking and listening to the music of the club. It wasn’t the car ride to and from the club. Granted, Harry didn’t feel himself for a party. When Zayn wouldn’t tell him where they were going, that was fine. It didn’t bother Harry when Louis spoke to him about going out. No, the nightmare started when Louis asked, no, in fact he demanded, Harry to dance with him.

It was fucking  _glorious_ , if Harry was being honest. Louis’s hands on his body. The sweaty mixture of music and too many clothes in that club, that was incredible. The way the music shifted the air, and Harry could feel every part of Louis on his body. Hands on his waist, the faint breath cascading traces of alcohol over Harry’s neck and cheek. Harry felt powerful in that moment, felt as though he could do whatever he wanted to. Maybe it was the alcohol, and maybe it was the new blood that pulsed through his veins. It was a glorious feeling, having Louis’s hands everywhere on Harry’s skin; everything he needed them to be.

Part of Harry was relieved when Niall broke the two of them up. Just as Louis leaned forward further into Harry’s neck, there were hands pulling Louis away. Something was said about ‘distance’ but the situation still stood, that Louis chose to dance with Harry. How far would Harry have let Louis take it if Niall hadn’t stepped in? How far would Louis have taken it?

When they got home, Harry, still a bit fuzzy with alcohol and drunk on Louis’s touch, found himself wobbling to his bedroom with the help of Niall. After changing out of his clothes, Niall left him to fetch Harry some water, and make sure everyone else got in the house alright. Louis was gone before Harry made it to the front door, but Liam waited outside for Zayn and the girls to arrive. Once they did, Harry heard the tires in the driveway, the girls made their way to their rooms quietly, but giggling when Lacey fell trying to walk up the stairs. He could hear Liam and Zayn talking outside, and Niall bounding back up the stairs with water.

Harry fell asleep before Niall could come back into the room. He dreamt of Louis against his mouth.

Waking up the next morning was absolutely atrocious. Bless Niall for leaving the glass of water and a bottle of pain relievers in his room, but the headache he was suffering from made it hard for him to even reach out for the items. After ten minutes of weighing his options, he decided to move and take the damn things before his migraine got any worse.

An hour later, and another nap later, Harry woke to the sound of buzzing around the home. Niall’s laughter could be heard from downstairs, probably with Liam and the girls. He turned over in bed and stretched, alcohol no longer fading any part of his mind. Harry’s eyes went wide and a churn ripped through his stomach as he remembered the escapades of the prior night.

Something about the way Louis seemed so excited about dancing,  _being_ , with Harry. It made his skin itch with anticipation. After their first kiss, it was like something had changed within Louis. Harry could see the way he tried to avoid the boy at all costs possible. But the previous night, Harry felt like Louis wanted him. And well, that scared him.

There were footsteps around in the room next to Harry’s, and a door being shut, followed by the bathroom shower starting up. Harry sat up on his elbows and listened to whomever was in the shower. They were quiet, but he could hear a voice filtering through the hallway and into his own room. Harry climbed out of bed, still only dressed in his boxers, and went to the wall of his bedroom that was shared with the bathroom. Normally, he didn’t approve of eavesdropping, but the voice he heard made his skin crawl. He pressed his ear up to the wall and listened as best he could. They weren’t speaking. No, they were singing. It was  _Louis singing_.

The singing was growing louder as seconds went by, and Harry found himself sliding to his back along the wall and down to the floor. He spread his legs out and listened to the alpha singing. It was beautiful. His voice….it sounded….like pure silk as some would say.

Without thinking, Harry found himself growing increasingly frustrated with each word that slipped from Louis’s mouth. A pool of heat formed in his belly, traveling lower until he felt a pain in his groin. He looked down and sighed out quickly, surprised. He closed his eyes to will it away, but this was just something that couldn’t be hid.

Harry leaned his head back against the wall and slowly slid his hands into his boxers. His hand gripped his length softly, raking it along the shaft with precision. Harry bit down on his lip harshly, probably drawing blood, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was the singing voice in the shower that made his blood boil.

As Louis’s voice grew in power, so did Harry’s hand along his hard length. It was painfully hard, so much so that he felt that any other movement would have him bursting at the seams. Harry ran his thumb across the head of his cock, breath hitching in his throat as he did so. The heat that pooled in his stomach was now so far in his body, that it radiated from his toes to the top of his head. With Louis singing, Harry felt his entire body going slack against his own hand, in the one place that mattered most to him. In that moment, of course.

Harry took his left hand and gripped his thigh, trying to quiet the sounds spilling into the room. His teeth that bit into his bottom lip did no good anymore, and he felt his toes curl as he neared his climax. Damn Louis and his beautiful voice that pushed Harry so far, and damn the way he could carry every note so beautifully.

That note at the very end of the song he sang, oh so beautiful, well he carried it higher and higher until he was breaching another register.  _Jesus in heaven_. Harry felt the way his hand clenched around his cock and he was spilling over in his hand as Louis finished his song.

_Christ above_.

Harry’s body shook with his orgasm even after he was done. The shower cut off quickly and Louis couldn’t be heard any longer. Harry felt his heart pound in his chest, and even if the footsteps were heading towards his room, he couldn’t be bothered, hand still stuffed down his pants.

It was when the door swung open, that Harry felt his body jolt to awareness, especially with Louis standing there, just like the time he kissed the alpha, dripping wet and in a towel.

“Shit,” Louis breathed when he walked through the door, turning his body away from Harry, who quickly withdrew his hand from his pants.

“Sorry,” Harry offered immediately, standing from the floor and wiping his hand against the fabric of his boxers.

“Nothing to be sorry about, mate. Water under the bridge. Do you want me to leave you to finish-“ Louis trailed away, still not daring to look Harry in the eye.

“Erm – no I’m all – done,” Harry stuttered. “All good here,” he added before going to his closet to fish out a clean pair of pants. “You can turn around, I’m in the closet,” Harry spoke once he couldn’t see Louis anymore.

“Wish you would have told me that last night,” Louis teased. Harry stuck his head out of the closet to find the boy smiling. He laughed softly before going back to his current job at hand. “Anyway, I came to apologize for that, by the way,” Louis explained. Harry had stripped himself of the soiled boxers and was trying to slide a clean pair up his legs. He stumbled a bit at Louis’s words but eventually got them up. He went for a pair of joggers next, pulling them off a hanger.

“What about last night?” Harry asked. Louis cleared his throat and walked closer to the closet.

“It was out of line, I guess.”

Harry snorted and zipped up his trousers. When he turned around, Louis was staring at him now, a tight grip on the towel around his waist. “You didn’t do anything I didn’t want you to do,” Harry forced out of his mouth, which was dry now just by looking at the alpha before him.

Louis watched him closely, eyes flittering from the button of his trousers, to Harry’s naked torso, and over to his biceps. When his eyes finally made it back to Harry’s, he looked down to his feet and shifted his weight. “I just…. I just thought – “

“I didn’t regret it,” Harry said softly, almost quiet enough that Louis didn’t catch it. He kept his eyes on Louis’s body, searching for any kind of discomfort. When Louis looked back up at Harry his eyes glistened.

“I didn’t either,” Louis whispered.

“Then why.. – “

Louis stepped a little closer to Harry, just out of arm’s reach. “Because you’re Liam’s beta, Harry,” Louis explained. Harry took a step closer to the alpha. His heart raced, but he felt… powerful with Louis, like he did the night before.

“What do you want me to do then?” Harry asked. Louis took one step towards Harry and reached his arm out, putting his hand on Harry’s forearm.

“I want you to stop being so bloody charming,” Louis said. Harry barked a laugh and lifted his hand to place it on Louis’s cheek. It was Louis who closed the final gap between the two boys, wrapping his hands around Harry’s neck, pulling him towards him in a mind numbing kiss. Harry slid his arms around Louis’s waist, feeling the towel drop to the floor in a heap.

Harry let his hands wonder along Louis’s sides, up and down his rib cage, down to the swell of his bum. He let Louis kiss him, ravish his mouth with his tongue, lick into him. Louis moved his hands to fully wrap around Harry’s neck, pulling him closer as he stood on the tips of his toes. Harry reached down to Louis’s thighs and grabbed at them, which Louis obliged by jumping into Harry’s touch.

He moved the both of them to the back wall of his closet, where a bare wall stood. Harry held tightly onto Louis’s thighs so he wouldn’t drop him. He bit down on Louis’s bottom lip, which sent the older boy keening. Louis moved his hands through Harry’s hair, across his shoulder and digging his fingernails into Harry’s shoulder blades.

Harry felt his blood boil, and something in him switched. He pried himself away from Louis’s mouth and attached his lips to the boy’s neck, biting down on his skin harshly. “Fuck, Ha – “ Louis mewled. Harry smirked against him and sucked a generous spot right below his ear.

“Harry! Liam wants you downstairs!” Zayn’s voice came bounding through the hallway. Harry stopped what he was doing and looked up to see Louis staring at the door of the closet with wide eyes and a hand over his mouth.

“Don’t say a word,” Harry instructed with a whisper. Louis laughed softly against Harry and hid his face in the young boy’s neck. “I’ll be right there. I’m getting dressed now,” Harry yelled out into the room. Zayn’s footsteps stopped in the bedroom.

“He wants to talk to you about something. And if you see Louis, tell him I want to see him,” Zayn instructed. Harry cleared his throat and lulled his head against Louis’s shoulder, moving one hand to steady himself against the wall.

“Got it, Zayn,” he said loudly. Zayn retreated quietly, leaving the two boys alone. Harry lifted his head only slightly to kiss Louis’s collarbone. “I better go see what he wants,” Harry whispered, peppering kisses along Louis’s skin. He slowly let Louis down to the ground, still naked.

“I should probably go get dressed,” Louis spoke. Harry backed away from Louis and picked up the towel left in the doorway. Louis took it and wrapped it around his waist, shielding the semi he was sporting. He looked back at Harry and smiled, biting down slightly on his lip. “Liam – “

“Shut up,” Harry laughed and took Louis’s face between his hands again, kissing him one last time. He pulled away and placed a small kiss to the top of Louis’s nose. “I’ll go first. Count to ten and run.”

“One, two,” Louis began counting. “Your room is right next to mine, so it won’t take long,” he added. Harry grabbed a shirt on his way out of the closet, along with a pair of shoes. He skipped out of the closet, and out the bedroom door, leaving Louis counting quietly behind him.

Downstairs, Lacey and Victoria were sitting at the dining table with plates of eggs and toast in front of them. “Good morning, sunshine,” Victoria spoke when she caught Harry treading into the room.

“Morning,” he said back. “Where is Liam?” Harry asked.

“He grabbed a coffee and went to the back,” Lacey explained. “He told us to let you know once you made it downstairs.” A beat passed as Harry went for the door to the back yard. Victoria pushed her chair out and walked over to Harry.

“You look different,” she said slowly, eyes tracing over his body. “Either you had a really nice dream, or – “

Harry shook his head and held his hand up to her mouth. “Don’t finish that sentence, please,” he begged. She let another few moments pass before winking at him and turning on her heels.

“Our secret,” she whispered.

Once Harry made it outside, Liam was already waiting for him, sitting on the ground. He was dressed in a t shirt and joggers, tennis shoes and a jacket slung over his legs. Harry walked closer to him and gave him a questioning look. Liam stood from the ground and handed the jacket over to Harry.

“You are I are going on a run,” he said lowly. Harry took the jacket and shrugged it over his arms.

“And you want me to die of heat exhaustion?” Harry asked. Liam shook his head and reached over to zip the jacket.

“No,” Liam said curtly and turned to walk towards the lining of the trees. “You’re going to feel your body temperature go up. When that happens, the change is going to be harder to control. When your blood runs hot, and your blood pressure rises, you’re going to want to change. The trick is, learning to get it under control.”

Harry considered this for a moment. Liam walked back over to Harry and pulled the hood of the jacket up over his head. “Why do you want me to change? It’s never happened before, and I don’t know – “

“That’s why I’m here,” Liam soothed, rubbing his arm over Harry’s. “Now, let’s go. It’s supposed to rain in a bit, and I don’t feel like getting soaked.” With that, Liam took off, leaving Harry to follow him with a grimace.

```

Harry felt his face burn. The rain started before they could make it back to the house. Twenty minutes into their run, Harry had to pull the hood down from his head to relieve the heat radiating from his body. Liam looked over to the boy and sighed, yanking it back up. Harry groaned and pushed Liam away, his irritation getting too much to handle. Liam pushed Harry back, and smirked when Harry let out a low growl.

“Stop,” Harry warned, stopping his running and bending to rest his hands on his thighs, breathing erratically. Liam stopped and approached Harry, reaching a hand out to touch. Harry slapped it away angrily, standing up straight. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he spat. Liam nodded along and suddenly his eyes changed from caramel chocolate, to bright apple red. Like a new gash on your thigh.

“Breathe,” Liam instructed.

Harry growled loudly, ripping off the jacket and throwing it to the ground. He paced along the ground, twigs and leaves crunching under his shoes. His hands found their way to his head, but he quickly withdrew them to reveal dark brown claws that etched themselves away from his fingers. “What did you do to me?” Harry yelled, lunging at Liam. The alpha stopped Harry’s movements, staring into his eyes and holding him away.

“Say the words, Harry,” Liam demanded. Harry looked at him, bright blue eyes staring in to his red eyes. “Say them,” he repeated. Harry dropped his hands away from Liam’s shirt and backed away from him, sinking to the ground.

“The sun,” he seethed. “The moon, the truth.”

Liam squatted down in front of Harry and put a hand on his shoulder. “Again,” he instructed.

“The sun, the moon, the truth.”

“Say it until you don’t feel like you don’t need to,” Liam said softly. Harry looked up away from the ground to find Liam’s eyes weren’t red anymore. Harry’s heart was beginning to slow.

“The sun, the moon, the truth,” Harry said again. His hands stopped shaking and the claws were gone. He didn’t feel like the heat was going to consume him. He felt calmer. Calmer than he had in a while.

“Your eyes are back to normal,” Liam whispered while he rubbed Harry’s shoulder. Harry nodded and scrubbed the side of his face. “The jacket is in shreds, but you’re alright,” he added, making Harry laugh. “Wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Harry huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “Thought I was going to kill you,” Harry whimpered. Liam laughed out loud and clapped the back of Harry’s neck.

“You wouldn’t have killed me, mate. Trust me, you couldn’t have gotten close.”

“You say that like – “

“Trust me, Harry, the day you realize Louis and I are the strongest ones in the house, the better off you’ll be,” Liam said proudly, dusting off his shirt as he stood. “Now Victoria, she’s the one you have to watch out for,” he added with a chuckle. Harry stood from the ground and wiped the dirt away from his clothing.

“Victoria?” Harry asked. Liam nodded and bent down to retrieve the hoodie on the ground. “She anything like Zayn?”

Liam stopped his movements and gripped the jacket in his hands tightly. “What about him?” he asked after a while. Harry gave him a knowing look.

“You really think it took me long to figure it out?” Harry inquired. “You’re almost as obvious – “ Harry stopped his thought process when Liam lifted an eyebrow. “Never mind. He told me the other day that it was hard to find someone straight, and then last night at the club,” Harry rambled. “Last night it looked like the two of you were pretty close.”

Liam shook his head and shuffled awkwardly before rubbing his face again. “He’s Louis’s beta. Speaking of which, let’s make a deal, you and me,” Liam offered. Harry walked closer and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Listening,” Harry replied. Liam handed the jacket over to Harry, who took it graciously.

“If I figure out a way to work out my shit with Zayn, can you figure out your shit with Lou?” he asked.

Harry’s breath hitched in his throat. He looked around at the ground, the jacket still between his hands. He lifted a hand to rake through his hair. “There’s nothing to work out,” Harry mumbled. Liam walked over to the boy and put both of his hands on his shoulders.

“You know I can sense when something’s going on right?” he wondered. Harry furrowed his eyebrows. “And I can tell when you’re lying. So here’s my suggestion. Work it out while you still can. As far as I can tell, especially last night, he’s trying all he can to get to you. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I can see the way he looks at you.”

“You can see that?” Harry asked, completely dumbfounded. How could he have known about Louis? About the way he felt about him. Liam seemed to pick up on everything.

“I’m not going to try and act like your father,” Liam said.

“Let’s not bring that up,” Harry hissed, trying to hide the sinister tone dripping in his words.

“Look, I’m going to be the big brother here in this situation. I’m your alpha, and like I’ve said before, I’m going to protect you. So, here’s my advice. Don’t let your heart get broken. If you ever want to talk about any of this, whether Louis is concerned or not, I am a damn good listener.”

Harry nodded and shifted under Liam’s touch. “Thank you. Can we please go now? The rain is really starting to get to my boxers,” Harry laughed. Liam nodded his head and dropped his hands, walking away from Harry and heading back to the house.

“Race you?” Liam said with a smile. Harry shook his head and wiped rain drops away from his face.

“First one back has to make breakfast.”

Liam laughed out loud and readied his stance. “Bet.”


	12. louis

 

Discussing the night at the club with Harry gave Louis a newfound confidence. He planned to put more effort than usual into choosing his outfit that morning, realizing that he had someone to impress. Harry waited in his room while he darted into his, feet wet tiptoeing on the hardwood floor. Louis almost slipped as he closed his bedroom door behind him, catching his balance and dropping his towel. 

Before anything else, he was going to need to get rid of the distraction below his waist. He made sure his door was locked so he wouldn't run into the same issue that Harry had, although he would have appreciated its continuation. 

He spent a few minutes on his bed thinking about what would have actually happened if Zayn hadn't interrupted them. Would Harry have taken off his pants? Was Harry aiming to be the one in control? Would he have gotten to initiate his alpha instincts? The endless possibilities fueled his dirty thoughts and helped him get the job done. 

Louis decided to wear a denim jacket and white t-shirt. He had been keeping his outfits simple recently, but the classic nature was adding to the effect. He tied his black vans and cuffed his jeans before going upstairs to Zayn's room. 

Zayn was making an attempt to clean when Louis arrived, separating clothes that were Liam's from his. 

"You get into some trouble?" Louis asked with a smirk. 

"Oh, fuck off," he replied. "I actually need to talk to you about Liam."

"If you're going to tell me about last night, everyone clearly already knows."

"Well," he picked up a pair of black boxers and tossed them into the closet. "It is  _kind of_  about last night. Do you mind that Liam and I are together?" 

Louis didn't respond but crossed his arms, trying to think of ways he could make this conversation go in his favor. "It's kind of difficult to live in such close quarters with someone and  _not_  be attracted to them. Is it not?"

"No, it definitely is," Zayn ran his fingers through his dark hair, eyes hopeful. "So you don't care? I mean, you're my alpha and before I make any major decisions I want to check with you."

"Zayn," he scoffed. "I'm not going to tell you who you can and can't date. If anything, just be cautious with Liam. If it doesn't work out between the two of you, you are still a part of the same pack no matter what."

The other boy shook his head and chuckled, "I always knew I'd end up with an alpha." It was normal for people to fall in love within their packs, but also just as common for them to find a partner who wasn't a wolf at all. 

"That's because you're a bottom, Zayn."

He scowled at Louis, "So, what's going on with you and Harry?"

Louis rubbed his eyes at the thought of him, expecting for it all to just be a dream. Fortunately, it was not. "I'm not completely sure."

"Are you attracted to him?"

Louis gulped at the thought, he hadn't had feelings for someone in years. "Yes."

"Does he feel the same?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to tell Liam?"

"The truth," Louis said and looked down nervously at his feet.  _New moon. Crescent. First quarter._ "He's dating my beta anyway, why can't I do the same with Harry?"

Zayn looked at Louis with pity. He could sense that the whole situation was hard on him, that Louis was rarely emotionally raw with people. Liam would be defensive at first, but hopefully not too extreme. 

Harry had shaken up the pack so much and Louis hoped that one day things would be normal again. But then again, what was really considered normal?

Louis spent the rest of the day trying to keep himself busy, whether that meant refolding his pants multiple times or helping Lacey organize her jewelry. Anything he could do that would distract him from Harry. 

It was around six o'clock when the smell of juicy meat and spices was pouring from the kitchen. The more pungent it got, the harder it was for Louis to stay away from it. Downstairs he found Niall over the stove boiling potatoes with a roast in the oven. 

He tried to form an excuse for cooking by saying, "Wouldn't it be nice for all of us to have a home cooked meal together?"

It wasn't even a half hour later before Louis was helping him dish things out onto platters to set the table. Gianna came to help with placing silverware and folding the napkins. Domestic bliss like this made Louis feel comfortable and convinced him that it was in fact possible for things to be normal.

Harry was the last one to join the pack at the dinner table, hair wet but curls still managing to spring up. The idea of Harry wet and nude in the steamy shower made Louis' breath hitch in his throat. He sat across from him at the one empty seat at the table, automatically stretching his feet out to hook ankles. Louis shivered at the touch. 

"So," Niall began to cut into the roast while the potatoes were being passed around. "How was everyone's day?" He was practically everyone's mother in times like this. 

"Harry's training is coming along so well," Liam shoveled food into his mouth but continued talking. For being a leader, he wasn't doing a very good job. "With the full moon coming up, he should be prepared by then." Louis couldn't wait to be wild and free with Harry later that week.

Harry poked a straw into his diet soda before going in for his first bite. He gracefully pulled it towards his mouth with his tongue, looking Louis dead in the eyes. Louis played it off by rolling his eyes, but knew he was no match for him. 

Dinner was full of Liam excitedly chatting about his first beta and Louis bumping knees with the boy he wanted to screw across the table. You could have cut the sexual tension with a knife. Zayn humored Liam through most of the conversation, trying to get more information. In reality, Zayn just wanted to sit and hear Liam's voice drone on and on. The rest of the meal was a blur as all Louis could focus on was Harry's mouth. 

Harry volunteered to help with the washing up as a 'thank you' to Niall. Louis went to check his appearance in the bathroom before entering the kitchen, the rest of the pack either in their bedrooms or in front of the television. 

Louis strolled inside feigning confidence, focusing only on his steps to the kitchen counter. Harry had his hands deep in warm soapy water as he scrubbed the dishes, then setting them on the metal rack to dry. "So, Liam really thinks that you're ready," Louis said, getting his feet wet in the conversation. 

"Do you not?" Harry smirked and looked at him with his emerald eyes. 

"I didn't mean it like that..." He sighed and crossed his arms, planning his next move carefully. "I think you are capable of a lot more than you think." 

"Well, I'm not sure I'm capable of doing all these dishes myself," Harry laughed lightly. He moved over for Louis to help, offering him a steel wool pad to scrub the remnants out of the roast pan. 

"Are you excited for the full moon?" Louis asked. 

"Not completely sure what to expect," he dunked a plate under the water and it came out clean of debris and food scraps. "I actually have a question... For someone who, um, knows more about all this than I do?" 

His words put Louis on a pedestal that he didn't want to come down from, "Yes?"

"Has being a werewolf," Harry paused and looked down into the water. "Affected your, um, sex drive in any way?" 

Louis nearly dropped the pad he was using to scrub char off the pan. He laughed anxiously, but continued to keep a cool sense about him. "That is pretty common, same goes for increased appetite."

Harry grabbed the last dish as Louis rinsed out the pan once again, "Do me a favor then maybe?"

He tried to act as casual as possible while tilting the pan against the wall to dry, but he could not keep the smile off of his face. Louis felt like a giddy teenager as he stood behind Harry, pressing his body against him. "I'll be in my room," he whispered into the other boy's neck. 

Louis walked quickly to get a head start, hearing Harry fumble with the dishes as he left the room. He felt thankful for having so much free time earlier, it had given him an opportunity to clean up his room and make it look nice. Standing before his vanity, he lit a few candles and a stick of incense. He straightened up the blanket covering his bed before sitting on the edge and pulling out his phone. 

He did not look up when Harry arrived, but instead acted as if he could care less. Locking the door behind him, Harry approached Louis and stood in front of him. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you," he sighed. "I don't dictate  _everything_  around here." 

Harry began by getting on Louis' lap, straddling and pushing him down on the bed. He could feel his ass pushing down onto his cock, grinding down as they began to kiss. 

Harry gasped when Louis flipped them over so he could take control. He bit and sucked at his beautifully clear neck, leaving a mark that would last. They ran their hands over each other's bodies, pulling at the seams of their shirts to come up. 

The two boys pressed their bare chests together and pulled away, keeping their eyes locked and trying to catch their breath. 

"It's about time this happened," Louis laughed.

Harry replied by leaning up and continuing the kissing, Louis hovered over him and pressed his hard cock onto Harry's. He felt the younger boy moan into his mouth before he reached down to undo the alpha's pants. His skin was hot in Harry's hand as he stuck his hand inside of Louis' boxers.

Louis curled his toes, wishing that this moment of euphoria could last forever.


	13. liam

Liam let his eyes drift open as the sun seeped into his bedroom. He stretched his arms out above his head and let his toes point, a groan ripped from his lips as the night’s events played back into his mind. Beside him, a sleeping form materialized in his bed sheets. A smile crept upon his lips as he rolled over and placed a quick kiss to the sleeping boy beside him. A sleepy groan drawled from the boy’s lips and he turned over to snuggle in closer to Liam. “Sleep,” Liam whispered and climbed out of bed.

 

He picked up a clean pair of boxers from his dresser and a pair of pants. After he dressed, Liam left the boy in his bed and ventured downstairs. Thankfully, no one else was awake yet, so he made himself a cuppa and grabbed an apple. Liam sat at the table in the dining room while he ate, simply enjoying the quiet when everyone was asleep.

 

Being an alpha was not something he took lightly. Being able to think on his own, Liam came to the realization that things were not as they were before. He wouldn’t change anything, but it was a bit more than he bargained for. To be honest, becoming an alpha wasn’t in the plan, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

 

When Liam turned twenty, he met Louis in the bar his mates brought him to for his birthday. It was a lovely day to say the least. Party with the family during the day, full of presents and cake. Then, his best mate, Jake, picking him up around eight to take him and a few others to a bar in the middle of town. It was quaint, still bustling around with a DJ and dancing in the middle of the floor. After his friends found dance partners, he grabbed himself another drink and sat down in a booth they’d saved for the night. A shorter boy with bright blue eyes turned up after, commenting on the bowtie he sported, ‘birthday boy’. At first, Liam just brushed it off with a laugh.

 

Louis sat down next to him without skipping a beat. “So, you mean to tell me, birthday boy here is sitting alone in a booth? On the night of his big day?” Louis questioned with a bright smile.

 

Liam took two large gulps of his drink and sat it back down on the table a bit too harshly. “And you think you have a solution?” Liam replied. Louis raised his eyebrows at the sass but never let his smile falter.

 

“Come with me and I’ll show you,” Louis had said.

 

With Liam being the naïve boy he was, he thought Louis meant to take him home and have his wicked way with him. That, however, did not turn out to be the case.

 

Liam followed Louis to a park, alcohol still slipping through his veins. They talked most of the way, Liam divulging in his life, and love life. Louis listened intently during the entire thing. Once they reached a sector of the park that was hidden from the general public, Louis turned to Liam and slowed his breathing down. Liam, still tipsy and stupid, took a step back. He almost fell over when Louis lifted his head and stared at Liam head on, bright red eyes cascading a shadow over Liam.

 

“Fucking shit,” Liam yelled. Louis’s eyes went soft as he took a tentative step towards the younger boy. He held out his hand in a motion that told Liam he wasn’t going to hurt him.

 

“Trust me,” he whispered. “How would you feel about being able to run a mile without tiring? See things you couldn’t before, smell things you couldn’t, and hear even the slightest whispers from a city away?” Louis asked.

 

“Why me?” Liam asked gently.

 

“I have a feeling you’re going to benefit from this,” Louis said, turning his hand over so Liam could take it. Liam did so with hesitation. “I’m not going to hurt you, Liam. Trust me.”

 

And that was it, really. Louis took Liam to the house Louis’s parents bought for him before their departure and explained everything he could. He told them about werewolves, after he gave Liam some coffee and a snack to sober him up. They talked for hours on end about it, turning, the full moon, and misconceptions most people have about the creatures. Louis told Liam about his first full moon and how it was agonizing, but easier as the years went on. By the end of it, Louis had taken Liam to the living room where he could lie on the floor. The bite was painful, probably the worst pain Liam’s ever been in. But afterwards, it was the most glorious feeling.

 

After Liam, came Niall and Victoria. Liam felt like they had a relationship on the way, but every time he was almost certain, Niall would be found flirting with a bird he met in a bar. Victoria was one of Liam’s first girl friends that he really appreciated, so he felt a need to protect her. They’d take turns fighting in the back, covered in dirt and grass, trying to pin the other to the ground. Victoria always had the  upper hand, like the bad ass wolf she was. Louis found Niall and Victoria in the same situation he had found Liam. The pair met Liam the first night.

 

After Niall and Victoria, came Gianna. She was a quiet young girl whom Louis had saved. It was a particularly dreary night at the household, rain poring and thunder clashing around. Liam stayed up late that night with Niall after the poor boy had a bit too much to drink, and was blabbering about how he had a huge crush on Victoria. Louis came crashing through the front door, a girl draped over his shoulder. She was unconscious, clothes soaked through from the rain, and a heavy bruise forming over her left eye.

 

Liam jumped from the couch where he and Niall were camped out, and ran to the door to help Louis. He took the girl in his arms and brought her to the living room, laying out down on the floor. “What the fuck happened?” Liam asked, brushing the girls hair away from her face and surveying the bruise. Louis was moving in the kitchen slamming doors of cabinets and the freezer.

 

“Some guy decked her and left her on the street,” Louis yelled from the kitchen. He appeared a moment later carrying bandages and an ice pack. “I caught up to him and gave him a pretty shiner. I think she had more damage before she dropped,” he said putting the ice pack against the girl’s face.

 

“What do you mean more damage?” Niall wondered from his spot on the couch. Victoria ran down the stairs after hearing the commotion and gasped audibly when she saw the girl on the floor.

 

“Fucking ‘ell, guys,” she hissed as she crouched on the ground.

 

“I think the son of a bitch really hurt her,” Louis said again. “Fuck, where is the blood coming from?” he screamed. Liam and Niall shared a look with Victoria before they let their eyes scan down the girl’s body. Her jeans were soaked through from the rain, but still, there was something more there. Liam took one look at the girl’s groin and turned his eyes away with a sharp intake of breath. “Fuck,” Louis mumbled when he finally caught on.

 

“I’ll kill him,” Victoria seethed. She stood quickly and went for the door. Niall ran after her, grabbing her arms before she could make it out the door.

 

“Vicky, please. Take a deep breath,” Niall soothed. Liam looked up at Louis knowingly.

 

“Victoria, stop acting irrationally. Go fetch the towels. Call your mother and tell her we’ll be bringing in a girl,” Louis instructed. Victoria’s mother was a nurse at the hospital, which came to their favor when something happened. “Liam, help me get her to the car.”

 

They never found the guy that hurt Gianna, but they were able to get her heathy again and on the mend. It took a week for her to finally come around to the idea of being turned. Once she did, it was smooth sailing. She was only eighteen when she was turned. Her birthday present was the guy who hurt her, unfortunately. Liam always told her he’d find the monster who did that to her.

 

Zayn and Lacey were the final two to join the pack. Zayn first, and then Lacey. They were dating at the time of their bites, but quickly broke it off when she picked up on Zayn’s impending crush. It was never mentioned who he was crushing on, but it didn’t have to be said. She knew, and Zayn knew, and that gave the both of them room to explore other options.

 

Liam officially became an alpha the night he bit Harry. While Harry knew it was Liam who bit him, he never told Harry why he did it. It was kind of known from the beginning that Liam turned him, but Louis was the only one who knew the truth. After a conversation the night he was bit, he told Louis that he lost his head a bit while he was out for a walk. He got mad about something stupid, and Harry was the only poor soul around. He hadn’t meant to turn him, but it happened anyway. After that, Liam no longer sported the blue eyes. It was red from then on out.

 

After finishing his breakfast and drink, Liam stood from the table and put his trash away, venturing back upstairs to his warm bed. When he returned, he smiled to find that Zayn was still asleep under the covers. Liam crossed the room and crawled back into bed, snuggling close to the sleepy boy. Zayn groaned in a sleepy drawl like he did before, pulling the sheets around his frame and reaching out for Liam blindly.

 

“Always so cuddly in the morning,” Liam teased as he let Zayn crawl against his side.

 

“Tired me out,” Zayn giggled back.

 

“Didn’t think something like that would tire you out, love,” Liam cooed. Zayn leaned forward and nipped at Liam’s chest, sucking softly. “Don’t start that,” he laughed.

 

“Do you reckon we could sleep for a while longer?” Zayn asked, lacing one of his arms around Liam’s waist.

 

“I think you’ve earned it,” Liam agreed. Zayn hummed happily and sunk against Liam, slipping off to sleep within minutes. “Sleepy little shit,” Liam chuckled and hugged onto the boy tighter.

 

An hour later, Liam  woke up to Zayn placing lazy kisses along his shoulder blades, down the middle of his back. Liam giggled into the pillow and turned over, pulling Zayn down for a much needed kiss. Zayn smiled into the kiss as he moved to straddle Liam’s hips.

 

“Who knew after last night you’d be up for another go,” Liam purred. Zayn pulled away and smiled down at Liam.

 

“Don’t tease me,” Zayn said and pinched one of Liam’s nipples, which made him jump at the sudden contact.

 

“Always a little shit,” Liam laughed.

 

Zayn leaned down again to take Liam’s lips between his own, slowly dragging his tongue into crevices of Liam’s mouth. Liam placed his hands on Zayn’s hips, letting out a sigh of contentment. He pulled the beta down towards his cock, pushing up into Zayn’s bum. The two kissed like that for a while, Zayn running his hands along Liam’s sides and leaving scratch marks down his torso; Liam wrapping his arms around Zayn’s middle, holding him closer, as if a thin sheet of paper threatened to fall.

 

Liam sat up and turned Zayn over to his back while he fumbled with pulling the boy’s boxers down only slightly. He left peppered kisses down Zayn’s torso, stopping to nip at his nipples. Making his way down Zayn’s body, he stopped to suck at the stretch of skin right above the waistline of his boxers, pulling a dark bruise there. He glanced up to see Zayn staring back down at him, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Liam smirked and took the fabric between his own teeth and let it snap back against Zayn’s skin.

 

“Little minx,” Zayn remarked, grabbing a fist full of Liam’s hair and yanking him up in a rough kiss. “Show me what that mouth is good for, love,” he hissed.

 

“Don’t you wish,” Liam said and reached between them to palm at Zayn’s hardening length. Zayn groaned out in response, only to be muffled by Liam’s hand. “Keep quiet for me, and I’ll make you feel good.”

 

Zayn closed his eyes, nodding as Liam slipped his hand under the fabric and took hold of his cock. Liam removed his hand from Zayn’s mouth and replaced it with his lips, smiling into it. He leaned back down to tackle the task at hand, tugging the boxers down Zayn’s legs and tossing them across the floor. He then settled between the boy’s legs and gave one warning glance before enveloping the head of Zayn’s cock with his lips.

 

The rest of the morning was spent with kisses and a few orgasms here and there. Liam lived for mornings like that. Where he and Zayn could be trapped in their own little world, with no one to tell them to stop. No one to barge in and question their relationship. No one, especially Louis, to come in and throw a strop.

 

One thing that Liam and Zayn refused to talk about was the one man who made them the same. The first time Liam and Zayn ever acted on any feelings they had for one another was before Liam bit Harry. It wasn’t uncommon for two betas to fall for one another, and it actually worked in their favor. It changed, however, when Liam became an alpha. Louis sat him down the morning after and had a very stern conversation with him. He mentioned the fact that Zayn was still his beta, and having another alpha drop in would ruin his reputation among other packs. Granted, it helped only slightly when it came to fighting or territorial disputes to have Liam there as a second alpha. Louis made it very clear that he wanted the relationship to stop.

 

So, they did.

 

For two days.

 

Liam spoke with Zayn, after some liquid courage on the third day of trying to avoid him and told him they couldn’t see each other romantically anymore. They’d be living in the same home, yes, but they couldn’t carry on with whatever they were doing.

 

“It’s not safe, Zayn,” Liam offered. Zayn snorted and climbed off Liam’s bed.

 

“Liam James, safe isn’t in our fucking nature!” Zayn yelled back at him, probably waking up half the house.

 

“Zayn, please-“

 

“No. No, we aren’t safe in general. This, what we are,” Zayn motioned between the two of them, “is not something the general public would consider safe. Fucking wolves, and you want to say us getting each other off isn’t safe.” Zayn took a second to collect his breathing, pinching the bridge of his nose. “After all these years with Louis, and you pick now to be afraid of him.”

 

“I’m not afraid of him, I just – “

 

“When you kiss me, it feels right. When I’m with you, it feels right. When I’m with you, I feel fucking safe. That’s the only safe thing about us. But you’re scared of that five-foot alpha down the hall. Grow the fuck up, Liam. Start acting like an alpha,” Zayn spat. His words dripped with hatred. Liam felt his stomach turn at his tone, and his throat went thick.

 

“I don’t know what to do right now. He’s got me trapped between a rock and a hard place, and it’s fucking mental,” Liam spoke softly. His eyes stung with tears that he wasn’t ready to let fall.

 

“And what, you think he’s going to kick you out of the house? Kick you out, and threaten me? No, he won’t. He won’t do that because we’re part of his pack. You were the first one, Liam, and you think he’s going to throw you to the world without a shirt on your back?” Zayn questioned. His voice was rising, and it didn’t look like he cared one bit. “Because the Louis I know wouldn’t do that. Fuck, the  _Liam_  I know wouldn’t be doing this!”

 

“What do you want me to do?” Liam yelled this time, quieting Zayn. Liam never normally raised his voice about anything. Zayn’s shoulder went lax as he turned to face the door.

 

Zayn turned back to Liam, his eyes shining bright blue, “I fucking love you, you twat!”

 

Liam swallowed thickly and stood from the bed, tears now falling down his face. That was the first time either one of them had said the L word.

 

_Wow._ Zayn loves him _. Zayn loves him_.

 

Zayn blinked and wiped his eyes with the heels of his palms, the bright blue dissipating back to their chocolate brown. Liam walked slowly to the boy and reached out to take his hands. “I fucking love you too,” Liam whispered, only mere seconds before Zayn barked out a laugh and took Liam’s face between his hands, kissing him harshly.

 

The two vowed to keep their relationship, whatever that may be, a secret until they could figure out what to do about Louis. They promised one another that no matter what, if things went wrong, they’d figure it out together. Having Harry as his beta, they’d figure it out. After Zayn spoke with Louis, it seemed that they wouldn’t have any more problems. Zayn mentioned it the previous night, right before Liam fucked him quite literally into the mattress. Who could blame him? Once it was cleared, Liam could relax about being with Zayn. He could fuck his mate like his life depended on it, without any recoil.

 

Liam often wondered what would happen if Zayn sided more with his pack, along with Harry.

 

Speaking of Harry.

 

Liam thought back to the conversation he had in the woods with the young beta about the five-foot alpha previously mentioned. While Harry brushed it off like it was nothing, Liam had a feeling there was something more to the relationship than met the eye. He could see that Harry was feeling something for Louis, and while he didn’t know if Louis reciprocated, he wanted to make sure Harry was kept safe.

 

The thought almost made him laugh. How ironic was the situation he found himself in. Trailed in his thoughts, Zayn bumped his leg with his hand, eyebrows raised in question. “What?” Liam asked. Zayn ducked his head and kissed Liam’s thigh.

 

“What are you giggling at?” Zayn wondered.

 

Liam sighed and scrubbed the side of his face. “I think something’s going on with Louis and Harry,” he said evenly. “Ironic, is all,” he added when Zayn shrugged.

 

“What do you mean, ironic?”

 

Liam sat up on his elbows and licked his bottom lip. “Louis has been riding my back about you, but I think he and Harry are in the same predicament.”

 

“Alpha for beta?” Zayn inquired. Liam nodded slowly, putting puzzle pieces together in his head.

 

“Harry mentioned the other day that there wasn’t much to tell me about Louis. But then, he made a comment about me figuring our stuff out, only if he figured his issues out with Louis. I think there’s something going on there.” Liam stopped to pull Zayn back up to him, placing a kiss to his forehead. “I mean, if Louis is going after Harry, my beta, then why – “

 

“Why was he giving us such a hard time?” Zayn finished. Liam pursed his lips together.

 

“It’s the same situation, for all four of us. I’m an alpha, with one of his betas. He’s an alpha, with my only beta,” Liam said. Zayn looked away as if to give it some thought.

 

“Do you think he’s not saying anything because he knows he’s being hypocritical?” Zayn wondered out loud. Liam shrugged and shook his head.

 

“I think it’s more than that. Like his pride is getting the better of him or summat.” Liam leaned back against the pillow and ran his hands through Zayn’s hair. “I told Harry to come and talk to me, but I don’t know how much I could get out of him,” he added.

 

“Maybe we just let them figure it out.” He stopped to think once more. Zayn’s eyes lit up as he turned to Liam. “Yesterday, I got a little out of Louis but not enough to work off. I could talk to Harry? Beta to beta, figure out where his head’s at,” he suggested.

 

Again, Liam shook his head. “No, I don’t want to put you in that situation. Plus, if something is going on, one of them is bound to talk to me about it at some point,” Liam replied. “God knows it’s going to blow up some way or another.”

 

Zayn shifted up to his elbow. “Then I’ll talk to Harry about it. He’s got to talk to someone. Maybe if I do, because of similar situations, he’s more prone to open up to me. Let me talk to him and see what I can do,” Zayn offered once more.

 

Liam sighed and leaned up to kiss Zayn. “I love you,” he said softly.

 

“I love you too,” Zayn hummed, leaning into the kiss and nibbling on Liam’s bottom lip. “Meet me for a run in twenty minutes,” Zayn instructed. Liam laughed and nodded along.

 

“Make it ten.”


End file.
